A thriftier, healthier bank holiday pizza night

Bank holidays – a bonus day – a day out with the family, at the garden centre, doing DIY, perhaps even at the beach. Whatever you do with your freebie holiday, there’s a strong chance are that by Monday evening you’re collapsed in a happy heap and that pizza menu is looking mighty tempting…. 

This recipe is the perfect way to not only save money on takeaways but also a healthier alternative (you can control what’s on it) and a way to use up all manner of leftovers that may be lurking in the fridge. Make one batch of this dough, split into four portions and pop in the fridge or freeze for use at a later date.

Ingredients 

500g strong white flour

7g sachet of fast action dried yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp caster sugar

325mk lukewarm water

1tbsp olive oil

• Put the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Stir together.
• Add the yeast and stir again.
• Make a well in the centre and slowly add the lukewarm water and olive oil, bringing the flour in until you have a sticky dough.
• Flour your work surface well and knead until smooth or use a dough hook with your mixer on slow. It’ll take about 5 -10mins depending on your muscle power!
• Put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea-towel.
• Leave to prove for about an hour or until doubled in size.
• Flour your surface again and lightly knead the dough (knock it back).
• Divide into 4 equal portions and pop into plastic bags, squeeze the air out, tie them up and put in the fridge or freezer for later.

• If frozen take the dough out a couple of hours before you want to use it and put in the fridge.
• Preheat an oiled tray or pizza stone in the your oven at 200c.
• Using a floured rolling pin roll the dough out or just stretch it by picking it up and moving it around, until it’s the shape you require for your tray.
• Each ball should make a 30cm diameter pizza – it should be very thin.
• Take the tray out and put the pizza on.
• Pop in the oven for 10mins, then take out, add your toppings and pop back in for another 10mins.

Suggested toppings:

Any veg languishing in your fridge, thinly sliced and tossed in pesto & olive oil.

Leftover ham that wasn’t used for sandwiches.

Leftover roast chicken, shredded.

Tinned tuna.

Leftover roast veg.

Frozen  / tinned sweetcorn and mushrooms.

Any leftover Bolognese

Leftover sausages, sliced.

You could go crazy and try sweet toppings. – just cook for longer without the toppings and add a spread of nutella and some sliced banana.

• Gill Bland
• bank holiday
• pizza
• recipe