Cooking with Kids: Pizza is child's play - either with your own dough, or handy bread
Making pizza dough from scratch with children is tactile and can be really satisfying.
The yeast dough feels lovely, warm, and soft, and I find that the push and pull of kneading can be very relaxing.
Dough is kneaded to stretch the gluten, and help it to strengthen and bind together.
You can show a child how to use the heel of their hand to push the dough down, then to push it away from themselves - then fold it back over and repeat the process.
The large bowl in which the dough was made can be used to do the kneading, or you can turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface.
If making dough is not possible, a pizza-style dinner can be made using different bases, pitta breads, and bagels are good options, so too are wraps or flat breads.
The joy with this dinner is that you can use up bits and pieces from the fridge and allow children to help in the making process as well as choosing their own toppings.
Making pizza dough from scratch with children is tactile and can be really satisfying. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 7g of dried yeast 1 tsp of caster sugar 325mls of warm water 2 tbs of olive oil 1 tsp of salt 500g of strong flour 300g of tomato passata 3 balls of mozzarella fresh basil leaves Method Mix the dried yeast, caster sugar and warm water together in a jug, and add in the olive oil. Leave the jug to sit on the counter while you sieve the flour into a large bowl. Stir the salt into your flour. Make a hollow shape in the centre of the flour with your hand. Gently pour the yeast mixture into this hollow. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together. When it all starts to come together and look like dough you can begin to knead it with your hands. You can do this while the dough is in the bowl. When it is kneaded enough it should form a smooth ball and the surface should bounce back when you press your finger into it. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave it to sit in a warm place for an hour. The dough will swell up and look twice the size. Divide the dough into three small balls and you can either keep them in the fridge and use them later or roll them out on a clean surface. To roll them out sprinkle flour onto your countertop or table. Use a rolling pin and roll the ball of dough into a round pizza shape. Pre heat your oven to 250ºC/gas mark 8. Heat a baking tray in the oven. Carefully slice each mozzarella ball into thin slices. Spread some passata onto one of the pizzas and dot the mozzarella slices onto it. Season with some salt and pepper. Ask an adult to slide the pizza onto the heated baking tray. Put the tray back into the oven and bake the pizza until the base is golden, and the cheese has melted. You can sprinkle the pizza with fresh basil before you serve it.Make Your Own Pizza Dough
A handy alternative if pizza dough is off the table. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 2 pitta breads 2 tbs of tomato passata 100g of cheddar cheese or mozzarella 2 slices of ham or salami a handful of olives slices of peppers or mushrooms Method Pre heat your grill to medium. Very carefully grate the cheese with the largest setting on the box grater. Lay two pitta bread out onto a baking tray. Spread the passata over them and sprinkle the cheese on top. Decorate the pittas with the other ingredients. Ask an adult to place the baking tray with the pitta breads under the grill, grill for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.Pitta Bread Pizzas
Stringing pasta shapes onto a shoelace is a good coordination activity for toddlers, it strengthens hand-eye coordination and the pincer grip.
Dried penne or rigatoni work well. You can paint them and leave them to dry before making the snakes if you like.
Threading the pasta will take patience and concentration from the toddler but hopefully, they will work it out.
If a shoelace is proving too challenging a straw may be an easier option.
Also, you can try giving them one or two pieces of dried pasta at a time to string instead of it all being in front of them and causing confusion.
