Classic pizza

Caroline Marson: Food writer

This is the ultimate in convenience food and a great foil for using up leftovers. Keep the dough ready rolled out in the freezer so all you have to do is top it and cook from frozen.

Ingredients: serves 2

Base:

500 g strong white plain flour
7 g dried yeast (or 15g of fresh yeast)
2 tbsp olive oil
20 ml milk
275 ml water (warm)
1 tsp salt

Topping:

1 can chopped tomatoes (or equivalent fresh, or pizza sauce packet)
toppings of your choice
parmesan (grated)

Method:

Base:

Tip the flour into a warm large bowl with the salt and dried yeast. (If using fresh yeast mix into the warm water.) Pour the warm water, milk and oil into the flour and stir until all the ingredients come together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, punch, pull and thump by hand until smooth. It should take about 15 minutes for the dough to become smooth and soft to touch or if using a mixer; use a dough hook attachment on the slowest speed for about 8 minutes.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise and double in size in a warm place for 1 hour.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll or stretch the pizza dough to a disc approx 25cm in diameter and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Leave in a warm place for about 15-30 minutes. Cook one or more pizzas if you want, slide the rest into the freezer on trays. Then take off the trays when hard (about 2 hours) and store in freezer bags.
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7.

Topping:

Spread the tomato sauce thinly over the bases and top with your chosen toppings leaving a 2cm uncovered around the edge.
Cook in the middle of the oven for 7-10 minutes.

Recipe tips:

For an instant 'woodfired' type pizza; roll out the dough thinly and cook on a smoking hot griddle one side, flip and smear with tomato sauce and toppings and grill until bubbling.