It’s been ages since I’ve made pizza. Last Sunday night I was planning out our shopping list when I was thinking about what we could have for our dinner. We all love pizza, although Mr S doesn’t really like shop bought ones. I like the thin and crispy ones but can’t stand anything deep pan or stuffed crust.

It’s easier to do things like this on a Monday while there’s the four of us still at home and when I’m not out at work. The dough can be got ready as and when you need it. Also, my two grown up kids enjoy making their own pizzas and sticking their favourite toppings on. Mr S asked if I could buy some prawns and anchovies for his pizza. Yuck to the anchovies but I got ham and pepperoni as well as lots of grated mozzerella and a carton of passata.

The pizza dough recipe I use is one by Annabel Karmel from her Children’s First Cookbook. I’ve had this cookbook years! It was bought when my kids were little and also got used when I ran an after school cookery club. Virtually most of the recipes had been adapted in one way or another. In fact I made pizzas loads of times throughout my time as a teacher but it was always Annabel’s recipe we used for the pizza dough.

Monday afternoon was not good dough making weather though. We up in North Yorkshire have not had the nasty storms and rain (yet) but the weather has been very muggy. My hands were hot as a furnace and no matter how much flour I dusted on the worktop and on my hands, the dough stuck to the worktop and to my hands. I got more and more flustered. Even having the windows open in my kitchen which gets the full sun in the afternoon wasn’t helping. I put my hands under a freezing cold tap but even that didn’t make a difference.

Eventually after 10 minutes of kneading I did get the dough into a bowl and left it proving. I didn’t need to find an especially warm place, it was warm everywhere! I was so fed up at that time that I wished I’d bought the pizzas and not made them from scratch.

For the tomato sauce I usually use a carton of passata. The only thing is it’s not full of sugar like some readymade pizza toppings are but we honestly didn’t miss it. I know you can make up a tomato sauce with tins of tomatoes, etc but I was seriously in a I can’t be bothered mood that day.

When it was time to get the pizza bases ready I got the dough out of the bowl, knocked it back and then cut it into four quarters. Now for the rolling bit. Once again the dough wasn’t in the mood for it and I found myself getting hotter and more anxious. No matter what flour I put on the rolling pin, my hands or the worktop, it just stuck. My hands were hotter than a raging inferno. In the end I had to get my daughter to roll out the bases. I was just expecting her to do that but she ended up doing the whole lot. In the meantime, I had gone for a cold shower! I came downstairs to find my delicious pizza waiting for me with its thin and crispy base. Just how I like it!

We each had different pizzas. Mr S didn’t get his anchovies for his pizza (haha) as I “forgot” to buy some! But he had garlic and prawns on his: reminiscent of a delicious pizza eaten on holiday in Menorca several years ago. I had ham on mine and the others had pepperoni ones.

I didn’t get a photo of everyone else’s pizza but here’s mine! It was delicious and we all said we definitely have to make it again. Maybe on not such a hot day and also if I can find yeast in the supermarket again. I’m down to my last sachet of my pre-lockdown yeast now.

Do you like making pizza? If so, what are your favourite toppings?

Stay Safe!

Happy Baking.

Love Sam xx