Everybody loves pizza. Some even believe there’s no such thing as bad pizza. For me, the best pizza is the one you make yourself. There is nothing more rewarding that using your own hands and hand-picking exactly what you want for your pizza. When I was younger, I’d create my own make-shift pizzas on sliced bread loafs, tortillas or pitta. And then I learnt to make my own dough and nothing has tasted better. I grew up on homemade food and so I know how much healthier your meals can be when you take the lead.
I came across Jamie Oliver’s homemade pizza recipe and after a few tweaks, I’ve discovered how to make what I believe to be perfect pizza. I mix wholemeal with white spelt flour, create thin crust pizza bases, control how much cheese goes on top and include all of my favourite veggies!
How to Make Dough at Home
Home-made dough is not as difficult to make as it seems. There are only a handful of ingredients involved. Kneading dough can take some practice until you get comfortable with it, but it’s such an easy technique to learn. If you’re lucky enough to have a dough mixing machine, that’s half the work done!
When flour mixes with water gluten is formed, which creates the structure formed in stretchy, elastic dough. You don’t want your dough to be dry and stiff. You need a soft silky texture which springs back.
Healthy Homemade Pizza Step by Step
I’ll take you step-by-step, explaining how to create pizza from scratch at home, from preparing your yeast for your pizza dough, to getting the right dough texture. I’ve even included a delicious homemade tomato pizza sauce recipe!
You’ll only need about 90 minutes to make nutritious homemade pizza for you and your friends and family.
Read on for the full recipe…
INGREDIENTS
Dough
Wholemeal spelt flour – 250 grams
White spelt flour – 250 grams
Salt – 2 teaspoons
Olive oil – 2 to 3 tablespoons
Yeast
Warm water (not hot) – 250ml
Sugar – 2 teaspoons
Yeast (I use dried active yeast) – 2 teaspoons
Plain flour (for dusting)
Makes 4 – 5 thin crust pizza bases
Pizza Tomato Sauce
Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
Passata sauce – 200 grams
Fresh basil leaves
Dried Italian Herbs (oregano, basil, etc)
Salt & Pepper for seasoning
Pizza Toppings – Examples
Courgette/ Zucchini
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Lean mince beef – marinated in Worchester sauce
Chicken breast – diced & marinated in salt, garlic pepper and chili flakes
Cheddar Cheese
Bufala de Mozzarella
RECIPE
Dough Recipe
Preparation time: up to 10 minutes
Dough forming time: 1 hour
- Sieve wholemeal and white spelt flour into a large bowl
- Add 2 teaspoons of salt
- Measure 250ml warm water (make sure it’s not hot)
- Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and yeast to the water, stir well and leave it on the side allowing the mixture to bubble and froth
If you have a dough mixing machine-
- Check that your yeast mixture is ready (frothy texture)
- Pour flour into dough mixer machine
- Start the machine and slowly pour the yeast mixture into the bowl
- Add olive oil while it’s mixing
- Allow machine to mix until a smooth dough texture forms/ the dough binds together
- Remove the dough to make sure the texture is right
- Knead for 1 minute by hand and leave in a bowl, pour some plain flour on top, cover the bowl and leave it for one hour to rise (double in size)
If you plan to make the dough by hand, allow approximately 10 minutes for kneading-
- Check to make sure the yeast mixture is ready (frothy texture)
- Add the yeast mixture to the spelt flour intermittently, bit by bit
- As you pour small amounts, begin kneading the contents, adding olive oil from time to time to soften the dough
- Continuously add small amounts of the yeast mixture and olive oil as needed as you knead, creating a springy, elastic dough
- Once the texture is right, sprinkle some plain flour on top, cover the bowl and leave it for one hour to rise (double in size)
Tips –
- If the dough is too dry, add a little water and a little more olive oil, until it softens
- If the dough is too wet, add more flour in small quantities, until it thickens
Pizza Sauce Recipe
Preparation/ cooking time: up to 20 minutes
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan
- Add passata, fresh basil leaves, mixed herbs, salt and pepper
- Bring to boil and then leave to simmer on a low heat for an additional 15-20 minutes
Pizza Toppings
Preparation time: up to 10 minutes
- Prepare pizza toppings – slicing vegetables, grating cheddar cheese and cutting some mozzarella pieces
- If including marinated meat, be sure to marinate several hours prior to beginning pizza making process and place in the fridge – remove from fridge once you start making your dough
Pizza Making
Preparation time: up to 10 minutes
Cooking time: up to 15 minutes
- Check on your dough after 1 hour – it should have risen and even doubled in size
- Dust rolling board with plain flour, remove dough from bowl and place on rolling board
- Knead and fold for about a minute with your fists to release any air bubbles (sprinkle plain flour as & when needed should the dough become sticky)
- Create 4-5 dough balls (somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball), by pulling pieces of dough away and rolling into balls – these will form your pizza bases
- Sprinkle flour over all dough balls so that they don’t stick to each other
- Pre-heat over to 190 degrees Celsius (fan)
- One by one, roll out to a thin base and place on baking tray
- Pour tomato sauce on top of pizza base and spread evenly
- Lightly sprinkle cheese
- Add your choice of toppings
- Add a little extra cheese is you wish
- Place in the oven and allow to cook for up to 15 minutes
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