PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES (PLUS 1 HOUR PROVING TIME)
COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES
MAKES: 4
SUN-DRIED TOMATO, CHORIZO AND OLIVE PIZZAS WITH BUFFALO MOZZARELLA
Andos is a good mate of mine and he loves cooking pizza on Friday nights. He’s super fit, so Friday night pizza is his special treat, and it can be yours with this simple recipe. This one is for you Andos, I hope you like it! Feel free to change the toppings to whatever you like, and if you’re in a hurry, use 22 cm (8½ inch) bought pizza bases or large pitta breads instead of making your own dough.
300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) strong flour
7 g (1/8 oz) sachet dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
TOMATO SAUCE
155 g (5½ oz/1 cup) sun-dried tomatoes, drained
½ cup (firmly packed) basil, plus extra leaves, to serve
PIZZA TOPPING
110 g (3¾ oz/2/3 cup) pitted kalamata olives, halved
200 g (7 oz) grape tomatoes, halved
2 smoked chorizo sausages, thinly sliced
2 balls buffalo mozzarella, torn (see note)
To make the pizza dough, combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir in 185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) warm water and the olive oil. Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for 6–8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, process the sun-dried tomatoes and basil in a food processor until finely chopped.
Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F/Gas 8). Place a large heavy-based oven tray or terracotta tile in the oven. If you have a pizza stone, this is the time to use it.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each portion out on a floured piece of baking paper to a 22 cm (8½ inch) round. Using the back of a metal spoon, spread the bases with the tomato sauce, leaving a 1 cm (½ inch) border. Scatter the bases with the olives, grape tomatoes, chorizo and mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bases are crisp and the cheese has melted. Slice each pizza into four and scatter with the extra basil leaves to serve.
NOTE
∎ Buffalo mozzarella is a stretched curd cheese made from buffalo milk, and is available from some delicatessens. Make sure you have properly drained your mozzarella before baking to avoid the excess moisture seeping out during cooking. Substitute one ball of buffalo mozzarella with three balls of bocconcini if you prefer.
