Thin Crust Pizza

I finally got a photo of something savoury! From the recipes on this blog it might appear that my house subsists on cookies and muffins alone but the truth is planning and cooking dinner is the highlight of my day. My Dinners Board on Pinterest is my biggest by far (560 pins and counting!) and is getting to the point that I should probably start sorting it into sub-categories of some kind. I’ve been lucky enough to get a bunch of early shifts over the past few weeks which gives me ample time in the afternoons to cook dinners that take a bit more prep work. I’m not a fan of rushed cooking so getting the time potter around the kitchen at my own pace is dreamy. For nights when time is nowhere to be found, this pizza does the job admirably.

I like me a thick crust every now and then but thin crust is my favourite when I look into my heart of hearts. Working quickly once the dough is rolled out is important, the longer it sits and rises the thicker it will be once it cooks. It will still taste great but you might not get the thin dough you were cravin’. Go easy on the toppings to ensure even cooking and be sure to try grating some parmesan on after the pizza has finished cooking, it’s something that I do no matter what recipe I use.

Thin Crust Pizza

Barely adapted from Thin Crust Pizza over at How Sweet It Is.

Dough (for one pizza):

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp honey

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

Toppings:

passata (tomato sauce)

garlic, crushed

salt and pepper

mozzarella

salami

fresh basil

parmesan

Preheat the oven to its highest temperature.

In a medium bowl whisk together the water, yeast and honey, allow to sit for around 10 minutes until frothy (if the mixture doesn’t get frothy, your yeast could be dead, check the expiry date on the packet and start with a new sachet of yeast).

While you wait the 10 minutes prepare whatever toppings you have chosen, try to keep them relatively light so as not to weigh your base down.

When the 10 minutes are up mix the flour and salt into the yeast mixture, starting with a wooden spoon and finishing with your hands.

Lightly flour a flat surface and knead dough until smooth and silky, place it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Tear off a piece of baking paper (roughly the width of your oven) and spray it with oil then dust lightly with flour.

Roll out the dough onto the prepared baking paper as thin as possible, aiming for 30 cm (if the dough is too elastic and springs back allow it to sit for another 5 minutes).

Quickly add your chosen toppings then use a baking tray to transfer the pizza on its baking paper straight on to the middle rack of your oven.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the base is light brown on the bottom.

Remove from the oven using the help of a baking tray, sprinkle with any toppings that didn’t go on earlier like fresh basil or parmesan).

Allow to sit for a few minutes then slice and serve.