But there's really no reason why pizza can't be a relatively healthy option. By keeping the base light, the sauce packed with tomatoes and the veggie toppings plentiful, holding back on the cheese and skipping the chips you've got a decently balanced meal - carbs, veggies and protein.
You could make the dough by hand but a bread maker is sooo much easier! It takes all the hard work out of this dish and leaves the fun.
Here's our fakeaway pizza recipe:
Makes 2 12" pizzas.
- 250ml tepid tap water
- 1 tbsp oil - olive or vegetable
- 450g bread flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp yeast
It's important to add the ingredients to the bread maker in this order, with the wet ingredients at the bottom followed by the flour and the yeast last. It's particularly important if you are using the timer on your bread maker.
Select the pizza dough setting and leave the bread maker to do it's thing.
Meanwhile you can get your cheese grated and your veggies & meat chopped.
For the sauce drain a tin of chopped tomatoes and mash them up with a fork. Mix them with a tube of tomato puree, a few cloves of minced garlic and herbs such as basil and oregano.
Liberally spray the pizza tray with spray on oil to stop your pizza from sticking to the tray.
When the bread maker's done split the dough in half, half for each pizza. Stretch or roll the dough into approximately the same size and shape as the pizza tray. Use a rolling pin to help you lift the dough onto the pizza tray.
Bang it in the oven for about 5 minutes at about 220oC. This part cooks the base so that it's fully cooked before the toppings are burnt to a crisp.
Next for the fun part, adding the toppings.
We like a BBQ base so we often start with a layer of BBQ sauce.
Next comes the tomato sauce.
Then whatever toppings take your fancy. This one was an assortment of leftover antipasti meats, mostly pepperoni and salami along with an onion.
Cheese comes last, just a sprinkling to very lightly cover the toppings.
Then it's back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
We've had a few create your own pizza nights with friends. The host takes care of the dough and the cheese while the guests bring whatever toppings they feel like. It's fun watching everyone try to toss the pizza dough into shape then everyone gets to top their pizza and eat. It makes for a fun night in and easy hosting!
