The Perfect Pizza Dough

Making a pizza with other people offers huge rewards and not just at the digestive stage! It’s a great way for couples to share in the process and for families to spend more quality time together. This recipe is from chef Theo Randall. His restaurant, Theo Randall, at the InterContinental in London was awarded Italian restaurant of the year in 2008 by London Restaurant Awards. Theo’s tips for the perfect pizza dough include: use strong plain flour (use “00” to be really Italian) as it has a higher gluten content (this gives the dough its stretchy texture); knock back the dough by reaching down into the bowl, underneath the dough, gently lift it up and punch it down; rested dough should be soft to the touch but not too springy; preheat the oven to as hot as you can get it; always put the pizzas onto a preheated baking sheet or pizza stone (this makes the bottom of the pizza crispy). Ok, so with these tips in mind, here’s Theo’s dough recipe.

Makes 4 pizzas
recipe from Theo Randall

2 teaspoons sugar
15g fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons dried yeast
500g strong plain flour, plus more for working the dough
2 teaspoon salt
extra virgin olive oil

Homemade Tomato Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
400g Italian plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

Measure 350ml tepid water in a jug, add the sugar and fresh yeast, then swirl until dissolved. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it over the surface of the water and whisk it in with a fork. Stand 10-15 minutes in a warm place until the surface becomes frothy. Sift the flour and sale into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast liquid. Lightly oil or flour your hands and gradually mix the flour until it binds together.

Sprinkle a work surface generously with flour. Tip the dough onto the surface and scrape out any that is sticking to the bowl. Knead well for 5-10 minutes until dough is smooth, silky, soft and supple. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size, then knock back. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, each weighing about 200g. Roll each into a ball on the palm of your hand until it is sealed underneath. Place on a floured work surface. Cover each ball with a damp cloth or foil and leave to rest for 10-20 minutes. When the dough balls have rested, stretch and shape each one using light pressure with your hands and a rolling pin until you have an oblong shape, roughly 30cmx18cm. Preheat oven to 240c (220c fan).

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat and cook the onion and garlic for about 10 minutes (let the onion and garlic soften not brown). Add the tomatoes and season to taste. Add fresh oregano and simmer 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit. Leave to cool.The Culinary Chase’s Note: Dress the pizza with your favorite toppings and cook 8-10 minutes. It was decided that ham and mushroom was in order and instead of chopping the mushrooms, I grated them. Other toppings we like are buffalo mozzarella cheese (added during the last 3 minutes of cooking), prosciutto added at the end as well as rocket.