How To Perfect Your DIY Pizza Base
Grab a frying pan because tonight we’re making pizzas from scratch with Gousto’s homemade pizza dough recipe.
So you’ve ordered one of our easy pizzas – and you’re well on the way to becoming a pizza chef. But wait! Before you get stuck in, our chefs have created these handy step-by-step gifs, so you’ll get perfect frying pan pizza every time.
Serves 2 (double the recipe for 4)
Ingredients
7g dried yeast
250g pizza base mix
175ml warm water
Plain flour (for dusting)
A frying pan
A large bowl
A large baking tray
A plastic or silicone spatula to mix the dough
Method
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 240ºC / 220ºC (Fan) / 475ºF / Gas Mark 9 and put a large baking tray in the oven to heat up (this prevents soggy bottoms!). Then add your dried yeast to a large bowl with 100ml of warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Give it a good mix up and set aside for 5-10 minutes while you make your delicious Italian-style toppings.
Step 2: After your toppings are prepped, your yeast should have started to activate and bubble.
Once this happens, tip your pizza base mix into the bowl with the yeast.
Step 3: Gradually add up to 75ml of warm water to the bowl a little at a time (you may not need all of it!).
Step 4: Gently mix with a plastic spatula until a sticky dough ball has formed.
Step 5: Tip the dough ball out onto a floured work surface.
Step 6: Cut into 2 pieces (no need to knead!)
Step 7: Then toss each dough ball in a light dusting of flour until coated.
Step 8: Press each dough ball in the centre and gently push outwards with your fingertips.
As you do this, leave the outer edge of the pizza untouched, so your dough starts to form a crust. Don’t worry if your dough starts to rip, just stick it back together and keep going!
Top tip: As you shape it, dust the dough lightly with flour to stop it sticking.
Keep going until your base is slightly smaller than a side plate (you’ll make them bigger in the pan!)
Step 9: Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan over a high heat.
Step 10: Once hot, carefully add the pizza base to the pan, pushing the dough out to the edge to help shape the crust.
Top tip: Picking up the pizza dough can be tricky (you don’t want it to rip!), so gently flip it over the back of your hand to transport it to the pan.
Step 11: Dollop half of the sauce on each pizza, and spread it evenly with the back of the spoon (careful, the pan is very hot!)
Step 12: Cook the pizza base for 3-4 minutes, or until the crust has started to puff up. Then remove the heated trays from the oven, and slide the pizzas on to the tray.
Step 13: Top your pizzas, and put the trays back in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust has puffed up and browned.
You’re officially a pizza chef (also known as a pizzaiola)! Buon appetito!
What is Gousto?
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