Cashel Blue, Caramelised Onion and Thyme Pizza

ONCE you’ve got over the scary thought of making your own pizza base you’re free to experiment with all types of toppings, such as classic fresh tomatoes with cheese or spicy chorizo and Parmesan. However, my favourite is this combination.

Makes 1 pizza, serves 2

6g (1/3 oz) fresh yeast

200ml (7 fl.oz) tepid water

100g (3½oz) plain white flour

20g (¾oz) butter

2 medium onions, peeled, quartered and sliced thinly

50ml (2 fl oz) olive oil

150g (5oz) Cashel Blue cheese, or other strong blue cheese

2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the fresh yeast into a small bowl and cover with 100ml of the water and leave to dissolve for 5 minutes. Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre and pour the dissolved yeast in. Then add a pinch of salt and mix in the flour from the sides. Add approx 100ml of water and mix into a dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by pushing the dough away from the back of your hand until you reach a light consistency. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and place in a warm place for approximately 3 hours to allow the dough to rise.

While the dough is rising you can get your toppings ready. Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add in the butter. When the butter has melted add in the onions, cover and leave to sweat for about 10 minutes. Then remove the lid, turn up the heat and stir the onions until they become lovely and brown. Tip the onions into a bowl and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. When the dough has risen tip out onto a floured board and roll out to make a circular pizza shape. I like my pizzas thin so I roll it to about 5mm (¼ in) thick. Then brush the pizza base with some olive oil, spread the onions out all over the base, crumble the blue cheese on top, and sprinkle over the finely chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper, then place in the oven for 20 minutes.