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pizza

Pizza was one of the first things I learned to cook when I was a kid, I think it was because the preparation is fairly hands on so it's a perfect starter recipe for younger aspiring cooks! The great thing about homemade pizza is that you can cater for the taste of every person you make it for. This recipes topping is just a suggestion but the same day I made this I made a pizza's with parma ham, goats cheese and peppers, so you can really use whatever takes your fancy.

For the pizza baking session, I had the help of my cousin Harry, who had decided to miss out on his Sunday morning rugby practice to make pizza. I don't know about you but I would obviously have made the same decision! His favourite part was getting to punch down the dough!

Chorizo and Mushroom Thin Crust Pizza

This dough creates a wonderfully, thin, crisp yet still chewy dough which ticks all the boxes for me! You can easily freeze the dough after it has finished rising, punch down, and pop in a freezer bag. Take it out the day before you plan to use it and allow to it to defrost in the fridge.

Makes 3-4 thin bases
255g of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
175ml of very warm water
1 x 7.5g sachet of active dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the topping
About 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce per pizza
175g of mozzarella
100g of chorizo, sliced thinly
1 large mushroom per pizza, sliced thinly

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a measuring jug. Set aside in a warm place in the kitchen for about 10-15 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
When the yeast and water mixture has become frothy stir through the olive oil.
Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast and water mixture, using your fingers slowly combine the flour in from the sides and continue to mix until a rough dough forms.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add a little extra flour until it becomes smooth. Form the dough into a ball and turn in an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and set in a warm spot for about 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
Punch the dough down, knead again for a minute and place back in the bowl to rise for an additional 10 minutes.
Split the dough into 3-4 pieces and roll out as thin as possible. Flour a baking sheet and transfer the pizza base to it. Spread the base with the tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella, chorizo slices and mushroom pieces.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 200C/Gas Mark 6 or until the cheese turns golden and the crust becomes crisp.
Serve straightaway!

This has to be one of my favorite Turkish street foods. I got the great opportunity to watch how they are made, not out of choice, I might add! We had ordered 2 of the pizza's at this little restaurant right beside the local mosque in Fethiye, and the owner spotted me taking pictures around the place earlier. He quickly dragged me in to the kitchen, full of pride and instructed me to take pictures of the pizza's being made!

Not that I was complaining, the guy who was doing the cooking, gave me a full demonstration and from the speed he was producing the pizza's, it was pretty clear that he had done this before! The small pieces of dough are rolled out into long thin oval shapes and then a mix of meat, egg and herbs is placed on top. The dough is then folded in towards the centre to form a chewy crust. Don't let the idea of pizza throw you, this is nothing like it's Italian cousin. The recipe here is adapted from a Turkish cook book, with the advice of the Fethiye pizza maker, thrown in for good measure!

Turkish Pizza (Pide)

1. 5 Cups of Flour.
2. 4 Tablespoons of Butter.
3. 1 Sachet of Active Dried Yeast.
4. 2 Cups Of Milk.
5. 1 Teaspoon of Salt.
6. 1 Teaspoon of Sugar.
7. 3 Eggs.
8. 250g Minced Lamb.
9. 1 Beef Tomato, finely chopped.
   
10. A Good Handful of Coarsely Chopped Parsley.
11. 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped.
12. A Good Pinch Of Salt and Pepper.

When the dough has risen, seperate into egg sized pieces and flatten them into long oval shapes on a floured surface. Place the meat mix in a long line, on the dough and make sure to leave about 2cm on either side for the crust. Fold the dough in on either side and place in an oven for 10 minutes, at 240oC.

Serve straight away and slice into smaller pieces.

Pizza Stop - Ristorante Italiano
6/10 Chatham House, Chatham Lane, Off Grafton Street, Dublin 2

We had visitors this weekend so things got very touristy! We visited The Boyne Valley, New grange, Malahide castle, Howth head, and even ended up going to river dance which was staged at the Gaiety theatre in Dublin which is a pretty small venue and I felt took away from the colossal event, the name river dance normally conjures.

After River dance we were stuck for a place to eat and everyone was in the mood for Italian so I remembered a little place nuzzled at the back of HMV off Grafton Street. I had been to Pizza Stop - Ristorante Italiano a few years ago and enjoyed the meal then. The restaurant itself has got a bit of charm if not a little grubby, but the staff are very friendly and there was lots of laughing and joking.

Our guest and I ordered a Pizza du chef (which the menu promised a blend of tomato sauce, salami, mozzarella, peppers and pepperoni sausage) and my girlfriend had Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino. Most Italian restaurants are traditionally owned and run by Italians and pizza stop is no exception. We were seated right beside the bar and while waiting for our food to be served, a fight broke out between what looked to be the owner and one of the chefs. From what I could overhear the chef had been filling in his time sheet wrong and the owner was shouting "You do not make the time, I do!" after which he threw down the time sheet.

The rest of the staff looked very uncomfortable as the owner then proceeded to viciously restock the wine, practically throwing the bottles in to their slots! Although highly unprofessional it was quite amusing to watch, and gave us a great source of conversation as we waited for the food.

When the food arrived I was not that impressed, the pasta was over cooked and the dish itself didn't seem to have any strong flavor. The pizzas were a lot more promising with a nice crispy classic Italian base, there was a bit too much cheese but overall quite tasty.

The meal was quite cheap at 43 Euro, so I guess it's priced correctly for what you get! Not to mention the entertainment!

Rated 2/5 on Aug 09 2007 by Donal Skehan

LouderVoice Review Tags: italian, restaurant, review

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Getting homemade pizza right is a real art, I used to make it a lot when I was a kid and slowly perfected it over the years! One of my favourite things to do was to try different topping combinations from Asparagus and Spinach, to Feta and Rocket. One of the great things about pizza is that it's just so customisable. I also recommend experimenting with the tomato sauce as it can really enhance the overall flavour. The main thing I find when mixing is always to make sure your dough is not too moist as this creates a really unpleasant doughy taste when cooked. Here is my standard recipe for a great pizza dough, I'm not sure where the original came from as I know it by heart!

Basic Pizza Base Dough

• 1 sachet of active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 3 and 1/2 cups of Strong all purpose flour

Combine the yeast with the sugar and warm water in a separate container and leave stand for 15 minutes or until foamy. Then stir in the olive oil and salt.

Put the flour in a large bowl and create a small well, pour the yeast mixture in and slowly combine incorporating the flour from the sides. This bit generally the most worrying as it looks like it will never come together, but it will just keep mixing! When the dough begins to come together put it on a work top and knead the crap out of it for about 7 minutes.

When all your frustration has been taken out shape into a ball and place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place. The warmth activates the yeast and will allow the dough to rise quickly. Leave it stand for about an hour or until it doubles in size. This is normally when I start making the tomato sauce and preparing the toppings, effective time management you see!

When the dough has risen punch it down to remove the air. Then place it on a worktop and depending whether you like your dough thin split into two or four. Form the separated pieces into a circle and keep pushing until you have the right shape. The base is now ready for toppings!

Spicy Tomato Pizza Sauce

• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• Drop of olive oil
• Two Tins (400g) of chopped tomatoes
• Pinch of Sea Salt and Ground Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon of tobasco sauce

Sauté the garlic in the olive oil till brown then add the tomotoes and bring to a steady simmer. Then stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, and tobasco sauce. If you have a drop of red wine available to you it adds a richness to the sauce and by all means add it! Leave at a steady simmer to reduce for about 25 mins. Leave to cool until it's room temperature and then it's ready to add to the pizza base.

- I generally use mozzarella cheese for the topping, but any cheese can be used really! ENJOY!