The Taste of Summer: Homemade pizzas, roast half leg of lamb, leek tart and rock buns

PIZZA

Makes four

I have given the recipes below for the base and the sauce – the rest is up to you. The best cheese, I find, is cow’s mozzarella –in the balls not the blocks, as they are sweeter. But beyond that, salami, red peppers, sausages, tuna, egg – just pile the ingredients on.

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

• 350g  (12oz) strong white flour 
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp easy-blend yeast
• 180ml (6fl oz) lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For a tomato sauce

• 1 onion, preferably red, sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes or passata
• Pinch of sugar to taste
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

To make the base, mix the flour and salt with the easy-blend yeast, and then add the water and oil. Knead on a floured board for ten minutes, then place in a greased bowl, cover with cling film, and let rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. (Alternatively, if you have a bread machine, place all ingredients in the machine, set to manual and knead for first cycle  – usually ten minutes – then turn off and let the mixture rise for one hour). Knock back and knead for one minute, then roll out to fill a large baking sheet, or divide into four to make individual pizzas.

To make the tomato sauce, gently cook the onion in the olive oil over a low heat until soft and transparent. Add the tomatoes and cook for one hour until thick. Add the sugar and season, then purée in a food mixer until smooth. Place directly onto the uncooked base, and cover with mozzarella, salami, basil – or whatever you wish – then drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 6-8 minutes at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Now try our a delicious summer recipe for Roast Half Leg Of Lamb