How to make homemade pizza tonight that is better than any takeaway 

From the sauce to the dough to the cooking method, this is your pizza blueprint

Homemade pizza is easier than you think. Picture: Bríd O'Donovan

If you think of pizza as the ultimate cheese on toast, I find that it takes the fear out of making your own. The most important thing to remember when making pizza at home is to focus on your ingredients. Like a cheese toastie, there are only a handful of ingredients needed - everything else is window dressing. 

Make your own sauce 

A pizza sauce takes fifteen minutes to cook and is worth the little effort. If cooking a sauce is completely beyond you, open a tin of crushed tomatoes (Mutti are always delicious) and grate in one clove of garlic. Follow with a healthy pinch of salt and a glug of olive oil and you have a delicious sauce that will cook as the pizza bakes.

Go easy on your pizza

A lot of us have a tendency to attack pizza-making in a more-is-more capacity. This is the wrong approach. Do not use homemade pizza as a vehicle for eighteen different types of meat, a full bag of grated cheese and some pineapple. Pizza should be cooked in minutes, so that means a light scattering of cheese and whatever else you are topping it with.

Stretch it 

Rolling pizza dough ensures that all of the air pockets you have created through your slow rise are now dead, and your pizza will be flat and not as delicious as it could be. Using the flat of your palm, press the dough down, rotating and stretching as though you were moving around a clock at fifteen-minute intervals. You will not have a perfectly round pizza, but you will have one that bubbles and chars just like you find in a restaurant.

Cooking method

If you bought a pizza oven in lockdown, brilliant. If not, there are lots of ways to cook a pizza at home that tastes just like a restaurant. I favour the frying pan method for a crispy base (see recipes below), but cooking your pizza on a barbecue is also worth trying - even in winter. If you want to use your oven, remember to preheat it to its highest temperature for at least 40 minutes before cooking and cook your pizza on a preheated pizza stone.

Perfect pizza dough

Philip Reinhart was a pupil at Ballymaloe Cookery School and his recipe for pizza is one of the best

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 200 ml cold water

• 300g ‘oo’ flour or strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

• ½ 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

•  

Method

1. Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add the flour to the water and add the yeast and salt in separate piles. Mix for 10 minutes on a medium–low speed. For the first few minutes, it will look shaggy and you might be worried that it won’t come together, but leave it be and by the end of the 10 minutes the dough should be smooth, springy and slightly sticky. Check the dough after a couple of minutes, though, to see how it’s coming along.

2. If it’s really dry and isn’t coming together, add another tablespoon of water. If it looks really wet, add another tablespoon of flour. Alternatively, if you don’t have a mixer, you can knead the dough by hand. Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and tip the dough out onto it. Knead it by hand a few times to bring it together into a smooth, round ball that holds its shape well and springs back when you poke it. If it doesn’t pass those tests, knead it for 1–2 minutes more.

3. Using a dough cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough in half. Pressing it firmly into the work surface, roll each piece into a smooth round, like a tennis ball. Put the dough balls on two side plates or a baking tray dusted with flour. Cover tightly with cling-film/plastic wrap or soak a clean tea towel in cold running water from the tap and wring it out really well, then cover the dough with the damp cloth.

4. Place the covered plates or tray in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but ideally overnight or even up to 48 hours to let it have a long fermentation and a slow rise. The longer you let the dough sit in the fridge, the more flavour it will have.

5. Take the dough out of the fridge one hour before you want to cook the pizzas, making sure you keep it covered with the clingfilm/plastic wrap or damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out. When you’re ready to shape the dough, dust a pizza peel or a thin wooden chopping board generously with flour. You can either stretch the dough by hand or use a rolling pin. If you’re using a rolling pin, dust that with flour too.

6. Take the rested dough ball off the plate or tray using a dough cutter or a bowl scraper, making sure the dough ball stays round at this point. Place the dough ball onto the floured peel or board and dust some flour on top of the dough too. Press down the middle of the dough with your fingers, but don’t press the edge of the dough ball, as that will be the crust later. It should already look like a little pizza.

7. The dough is now ready to be stretched by hand or rolled.
   From Saturday Pizzas at Ballymaloe Cookery School by Philip Dennhardt and Kristin Jensen, photographer Mowie Kay and published by Ryland Peters & Small.

Pizza with pear, chorizo, blue cheese and walnuts

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

For a weekend feast, try the unorthodox combination of pear, chorizo, Cashel Blue cheese, walnut and basil on a richly flavoured tomato sauce and homemade base

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Cooking Time

 3 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 18 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the dough:

• 475g strong white flour

• 7g quick active yeast

• 25ml olive oil

• 50ml lukewarm milk

• 275ml lukewarm water

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• For the sauce:

• 300g cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 shallot

• 1 garlic clove

• a little olive oil

• 1 tbsp honey

• salt

• pepper 

• Toppings per individual pizza:

• ½ pear, cored and thinly sliced

• 75g chorizo, thinly sliced

• 125g buffalo Mozzarella

• 30g Cashel Blue cheese

• dried chilli flakes

• a few leaves of fresh basil

Method

1. To make the dough, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. I used my Kenwood for this, but you can mix and knead the dough by hand. Stir in the olive oil & milk. Gradually add water, mixing well to form a soft dough.

2. If using a dough hook, use medium speed for 4-5 minutes. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Pop into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film. Allow to proof until doubled in size, about an hour.

3. To make the sauce, cut tomatoes into quarters. Finely chop shallot and garlic. Cook in a pan with a splash of olive oil until soft. Add the chopped tomato, tomato purée and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens to a soft paste-like consistency.

4. When the dough is proofed, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knock it back just a little. You will have enough for 3 decent sized pizzas, so divide it into three balls of dough.

5. Heat a heavy-based frying pan on a high heat and turn on your grill to its highest temperature. Do not use any oil, a dry pan works best here.

6. Dust one of the dough balls with a little flour and then use your hands to press it into a disc. Now using your fingertips, starting in the middle and gradually working your way out, press the dough into the size and shape for your pan. Keep a nice thick crust of 2-3cm at the edges.

7. Pick up the dough and little shake off any excess flour. Pop it onto the hot pan and stretch it out a little if needed, carefully though as the pan will be very hot. Add the sauce, using a spoon to spread it across the pizza base, leaving the crust sauce free so it can rise and get crispy.

8. Tear and scatter the Mozzarella evenly on top of the sauce. Next add the chorizo, the blue cheese and the pear. Let the pizza cook in the pan on a high heat until the base is crisp and brown, about 3-4 minutes. If you are using a thinner based pan, just keep an eye on the base to make sure it does not start to burn. When the base of crisp and brown, transfer the pan to the grill and cook for another 3 minutesor so until it is cooked on top. Your crust should rise and turn lovely and brown.

9. Keep an eye on the pizza under the grill, as it can cook faster than you might imagine. I cook mine under the grill on the middle shelf of my oven which works beautifully. When there is about a minute left to go, add the walnuts.

10. Take the pizza out of the oven and finish with the basil leaves roughly torn, some dried chilli flakes and a drizzle of honey.

Cast iron pizza

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This is a simple enough recipe for a homemade pizza which you make in a good cast iron pan or ovenproof frying pan

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the dough:

• 250g cream flour

• 250g ‘00’ flour

• 2 tsp fast-acting dried yeast

• 1 tsp caster sugar

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil

• 250ml warm water

• For the topping:

• 180ml good quality passata

• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

• Olive oil 

• Good pinch of sea salt 

• Good pinch of dried oregano

• 2 balls of buffalo mozzarella

• Handful of fresh basil leaves

• 80g grated Parmesan

• Additional toppings:

• Pepperoni, salami, chorizo or other cured meats

• Chilli flakes

• Honey

• Good pesto

• Sundried tomatoes

• No pineapple — ever!

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Make the dough by mixing together all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and bring it together with your hands to make a dough. Sprinkle a little extra flour over a board and knead for 5-6 minutes until you have a smooth elastic dough. Clean out the mixing bowl and wipe a little olive oil on the inside. Place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise for just 10 minutes.

2. To make the sauce, mix together the passata, crushed garlic, olive oil, sea salt and oregano in a medium-sized bowl.

3. Divide the dough into two equal-sized balls. Make one at a time. Stretch the dough ball out using your fingers, from the centre outwards until you have a pizza base which will fit neatly in your pan. Place the base in the pan, over a medium-high heat on the stovetop. Spread the sauce on top using a soup spoon. Don’t put too much sauce or too much of any of the toppings: less is more. Next, tear the mozzarella over and then sprinkle the parmesan on top.

4. Dress with fresh basil leaves and any other toppings you like. After 10 minutes, check the underside of the pizza using a spatula. It should be browning nicely and the mozzarella should even be starting to melt at this stage.

5. Quickly transfer the pan to the very hot oven and leave for around 5-10 minutes. You are looking for a nicely browned surface.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before serving.

Chargrilled barbecue pizza

recipe by:Darina Allen

Surprisingly easy to make and perfect for kids to decorate with toppings, these chargrilled pizzas are the perfect supper for a lazy summer evening

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 9 mins

Total Time

 19 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 150g pizza dough

• 175g Mozzarella cheese, grated 

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 295ml tomato fondue

• 2 tbsp annual marjoram,  freshly chopped

• 1 tbsp Parmesan, grated

• 170g pepperoni, thinly sliced (optional)

• For the dough:

• 680gstrong white flour or 600g (1¼lb) strong white flour and 110g (4oz) rye flour

• 50g butter

• 1 packet fast-acting yeast

• 2 level tsp salt

• 15g sugar

• 2-4 tbsp olive oil

• 450–500ml lukewarm water — more if needed

Method

1. Sprinkle the grated Mozzarella with extra virgin olive oil.

2. Heat a Weber-style barbeque to medium hot.

3. Roll the pizza dough into a 30cm (12-16 inch) rectangle, about 5mm (¼ inch) thick.

4. Lay the rectangle of dough on the hot rack. Cover and cook for 4–5 minutes until nicely cooked and marked on the underside. Flip over. Spread an even layer of warm tomato fondue on the cooked surface. Sprinkle with chopped annual marjoram and a few slices of pepperoni (optional). Sprinkle generously with a mix of grated Mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and some cracked pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Cover the barbeque and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes or until the topping is bubbling and the pizza base is fully cooked.

5. Transfer to a chopping board, sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, drizzle with a little more olive oil, cut into squares and serve immediately.