Home made pizza!

I love making pizza and this recipe I came across when I lived in the UK... I went through a crazy dough making phase! This dough recipe can also be used for making bread.

Ingredients:

250g Flour (tip 00 is best)

7g packet of yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Tbs Sugar

250ml warm water (not too hot or you'll kill the yeast)

Extra flour for kneading and then rolling out the pizza

Olive oil

• First thing I do is put the flour into a big mixing bowl, then I measure out the warm water into a measuring jug. Once I get the right temperature of the water I add the sugar, salt and the packet of yeast. I let it sit for about 2 minutes. 
• In the mean time get out a baking tray or if you have one a pizza stone (these things give the crust a nice crisp bottom), put some baking paper on top and grease a little with olive oil. Get out your other ingredients for the topping, I use leggos tomato paste, some chopped olives, shredded ham, nimbin grated cheese & some pesto.
• Next make a well in the flour and start adding the warm water mixture while stirring with a spoon. The dough should start to come together, if it's too wet add some more flour. Once it starts to get too hard to stir put your hand in and start kneading it together. The dough should be nice and spongey & smooth so knead for about 3-4 minutes. Put a little bit of olive oil in your hand (10c piece) and then cover the dough with it, place back in bowl and cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1 hour in a warm area, it should double in size.
• If you are making a tomato like paste then now is the time to do- a nice mix is tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, diced capsicum, salt, pepper, fresh basil or dry mixed herbs, chopped olives, chopped garlic and onions. Fry everything up then add enough water to just cover ingredients and let it reduce (you have to stay and stir it so the bottom doesn't burn) then get a potato masher and mash everything up so it is less chunky. Of course taste and add what ever you think it needs, if you like spice add a bit of chilli etc 
• 15 mins before the dough is ready to be kneaded out put the oven on about 180C
• Once the hour is up for the dough, start to knead it on a flour dusted chopping board, get all the air out of the dough. Dust a little more flour on the board and dough and shape it either into a circle or rectangle depending on what baking tray you are using. Trick is to move the dough around not the rolling pin which should just go in 1 direction-forwards!
• Add your toppings and place in the oven for about 20 mins-depending on how much cheese and topping you put on top and how crusty you like your dough you may need less or more time in oven!