There are a few secrets to taking homemade pizzas from being misshapen oddities to things of beauty. Here's how to make pizza that's perfect every time.
HOW TO MAKE PIZZA
Why? Your hands have been in the dough. They’ve stretched it, torn it, and reworked it. They’ve spread the sauce, torn the mozzarella, and they slid it all into the oven. It almost doesn’t matter how it comes out!
There are, however, a few simple secrets that will help you turn your humble homemade pizza into something that'll make your guests gasp, and Jamie’s chef director across his specialist restaurants, Steve Pooley, is here to spill the beans on his pizza recipe. He's worked at Jamie’s Fifteen, opened and headed up both Union Jacks and Barbecoa, as well as numerous Jamie’s Italian sites. We invited him into the office to take us through the process behind the perfect homemade pizza.
Combine these tips with Jamie’s basic pizza recipe and what you pull out of the oven will be perfect every time.
The surface
Using warm (roughly blood temperature) water will help the yeast react better – not too fast, and not too slow.
Making the dough
Transfer to an oiled bowl. Here, fold the dough into itself a few times – this will help to delay the process slightly. Cover with clingfilm and allow to double in size (about 45 minutes to an hour).
Proving
Place, evenly spaced, on a lightly floured tray. Leave approximately three centimetres between each round. When they’ve expanded enough to touch each other, they’re ready!
Carefully remove each round with a fish slice or pastry scraper, taking care to retain their shapes. Turn the smooth side down onto lightly floured surface.
Shaping
Option one (playing it safe)
Option two (for the brave)Get to the end of option one and pick up the dough, place fists together, and stretch the dough out with a circular motion to increase its diameter.
Option three (for the showoff)
Toss in the air and use the weight of the dough as it lands to stretch it even thinner. This takes practice – don’t do it in front of guests until you’re confident!
Topping & baking
Place your base onto a baking tray that’s been lightly dusted with semolina or flour.
To achieve a good, even spread of sauce, it’s worth purchasing a flat-bottomed ladle. Alternatively, ladle as evenly as possible and spread with a large tablespoon to fill in the gaps. Next, cover with your chosen toppings. We've got loads of pizza recipes here if you're looking for some topping inspo.
It’s best to place the topping ingredients where the sauce is thinnest. This will reduce the final weight and make it easier to transfer into the oven in one piece.
To ensure a great bake at home, make sure your oven is as hot as it can possibly get. Don’t put your pizza in while the oven is still getting up to temperature.
Why not try making Anna Jones' gluten-free pizza recipe:
Using up leftover pizza dough
Bake in a hot oven until golden and crispy. Try adding toppings like sesame seeds, black pepper, or dried chilli by brushing a little egg white over, then sprinkling them on top.
