Please take pity on a pizza novice

[worriermum]

Please tell me how to make pizza dough, and then what to put on it for a family meal. Also, I don't have a pizza stone or any special equipment. Can I make pizza anyway?

I make mine with strong white flour, yeast, olive oil and water. I make it in a mixer with dough hooks, but you can make it by hand with a bit of kneeding! Have never used a pizza stone either!
As for toppings, I use passata as the tomato sauce base, then ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, red onions, cheese. Chuck on it whatever you like really. Best fry the mushrooms off first or the water comes out of them on the pizza and can make the dough a bit soggy. Can give you exact weights for dough ingredients if you like Just need to go and look it up!

yes please Mammyjo, would be grateful for your measurements (er, your DOUGH measurements!). Sorry, but what is "strong white flour"? Would ordinary white bread flour do?

I use this recipe from the ainsley harriott friends and family cookbook. Strong white flour is bread flour as far as I know (sorry for confusion!).

350gr strong white plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 x 7gr sachet of easy blend yeast (I use the fast action one from sainsburys)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing

225mls warm water

1. Put the flour, yeast and salt into a processor with dough attachment, or use a bowl and wooden spoon. Mix the oil and water in a jug.

1. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and water mixture to the flour mixture. You can do this by hand adding a little water at a time, and mixing until you get a stretchy dough. Knead for 5 minutes in the machine or 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface.

1. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and rub a little more oil over the top. Cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave for an hour at room temperature. The dough should have doubled in size.

1. Punch dough down with clenched fist then cut into two pieces and kneed for a couple minutes. Roll out into circles on a floured surface and then place on baking sheets. Top with anything you like then bake for 10-12 minutes until base is crispy and cheese is melted and bubbling and lightly golden.

Hope that helps

If you have a bread machine they often have a setting to do this on. Our recipe is with normal (plain) flour.