Pizza Recipe - The Garden Gurus

Pizza RecipeWith a wood fired oven in the garden, the range of possible dishes you can cookoutdoors expands dramatically. I’m in Margaret Johnson’s garden and we’regoing to start out with pizzas, a Napolitana specialty.Margaret tells us about the dough, which contains extra virgin olive oil. Today,we’re going for the full flavoured fruity selection olive oil. This is the best oil tocook with as it is rich in omega oils and forms the base of the famous and healthyMediterranean diet.All the ingredients used today were sourced from Herdsman Fresh Essentials inChurchlands.High heat is the secret of fast cooking and the pizza should cool in just 90seconds. This is achieved by using sawdust for a burst of heat just beforeplacing the pizzas in.Well, the proof is in the eating and I am all fired up to install a wood fired at myplace.For these pizza recipes keep an eye for Margaret’s column in the WestAustralian every Thursday.Margaret Johnson’s Pizza RecipesDough:To make 8 pizzas:30g fresh yeast or 1 sachet of dried yeast500 mls warm water- approx800 mls baker’s flour2 tsp saltCombine the yeast with half a cup of the water and enough flour to make a runnypaste in a large bowl. Cover and allow to the mixture to bubble. Then add therest of the flour, salt and water. You may do this by hand, in the bowl or in a foodprocessor or mixer.Check the consistency and adjust if necessary. Turn onto a floured bench andknead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and springy. Returndough to a clean bowl and leave in a warm place to double in bulk –about twohours. Turn the dough out again, knead lightly and cut into eight sections.

Knead each one into a smooth ball and cover and leave to relax for at leasttwenty minutes. If you try to roll the dough before it relaxes, it will be too stretchyto handle. Roll out the dough into a thin circle.The Tomato Sauce:While some pizzas are made without tomato, most include it.You may also use slices of fresh ripe Roma tomatoes or halves of cherrytomatoes. If you use this very tasty option, then you either need to squeeze outsome of the liquid or lightly salt the slices and leave them in a colander to drop it.This sauce is a better option than the bottled tomato puree and enough for eightpizzas.2 X 450 g cans of either chopped or whole tomatoes or 1 kg of ripe Roma’s,chopped2 teaspoons garlicSalt and freshly ground black pepper2 large sprigs of basilPlace the tomatoes into a medium saucepan. Cook until liquid is reduced. Addthe rest of the ingredients. Roughly blend the mixture but do leave some texture.The Cheese:Bocconcini, which are balls of fresh mozzarella are traditional. However, mostnow use mature mozzarella. The bags of grated mozzarella are also prettyuseful. The call is yours.The Toppings:I shall list some of my favourites. The amount is for 1 pizza.MarinaraHalf cup of tomato sauce or equivalent1 teaspoon dried oregano2 tsp extra virgin olive oilPinch saltMargheritaHalf cup of tomato sauce or equivalent2 bocconcini balls, thinly sliced5-6 large basil Leaves1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil pinch of saltArtichokeHalf cup of tomato sauce

3 braised artichoke halves or use one from your deli2 bocconcini, sliced1 tbsp extra virgin olive oilHalf tsp dried oreganoJuice of half a lemonMediterraneanHalf cup tomato sauceHalf cup mozzarella cheese, grated4 slices salami, torn in half4 black olives, halved and seed removedHalf roasted red capsicum, cut into stripsHalf tsp dried oreganoThe Method:Choose either a wooden paddle or some other flat, smooth edged surface fromwhich you can slide the pizza. Lightly dust this with fine semolina. Place thedough on this. Spread over the sauce, leaving a 2cm edge. Then add thecheese and other toppings. Drizzle over the oil. Quickly slip into the oven. Cookthe pizza until the base is browned and topping is bubbling over. Remove fromthe oven and cut into six or eight slices.