By The Green Parent
13th January 2017
SPELT PIZZA
Ingredients
200 g wholegrain spelt flour , plus extra to dust
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
½ tesapoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
100 ml buttermilk
1 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 large free-range egg
1 shallot
Cooked broccoli florets
150 g ricotta cheese
50 g rocket
2 teaspoons baby capers
1 wedge of lemon
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6.
2 Combine the flour, baking powder, sea salt and sugar in a bowl. Beat the buttermilk, oil, egg and 100ml water together, then mix the wet ingredients into the dry.
3 On a dusted surface, roll the dough out to 1cm thick.
4 Peel and finely dice the shallot. Bake on a dusted baking tray for 15 minutes, then remove and top with the chopped shallot and the remaining ingredients. Serve with a good pinch of pepper, and the lemon wedge on the side for squeezing over.
Ingredients
1 kg strong white bread flour , (or 800g strong bread flour
mixed with 200g semolina flour)
1 level teaspoon fine sea salt
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1 bunch of fresh basil
3 x 400g tins of whole plum tomatoes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 small head of broccoli
1 fresh red chilli
2–3 veggie sausages
150 g Taleggio cheese
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Method
1. For the tomato sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic, then fry in a good amount of olive oil until lightly coloured. Pick and tear the basil leaves, then add to the pan with the tomatoes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mush and squash the tomatoes as much as you can. Season to taste.
2. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat. Strain the sauce through a coarse sieve into a bowl, using the spoon to push any larger bits of tomato through. Discard the basil and garlic left in the sieve, but scrape any tomatoey goodness off the back of the sieve into the bowl. Pour the sauce back into the pan, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cook until it’s the perfect consistency for spreading on your pizza bases.
3. For the pizza dough, sieve the flour and salt onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into 650ml lukewarm water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. When it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough. Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out. You can use it immediately, or keep it, wrapped in clingfilm, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using straight away, divide the dough up into 6 to 8 balls.
5. Timing-wise, it’s a good idea to roll the pizza bases out about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to cook them. Stack the pizza bases, with a square of oiled tin foil between each one, cover them with clingfilm, and pop them into the fridge. Now’s the time to get your wood-fired oven, or conventional oven, heated up to full whack. Place a couple of heavy baking trays in the oven to heat up, too.
6. Meanwhile, click off the broccoli florets and roughly chop (using the stalk, too). Blanch in boiled salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Cook the sausages then chop into chunky slices.
When you’re ready to assemble your pizzas, remove a tray from the oven, put a pizza base on it and assemble it quickly – smear tomato sauce on the base and dot with broccoli and sausage. Tear over the Taleggio cheese and sprinkle with chilli. Crush and scatter over the fennel seeds. Place in the oven immediately while you prepare the remaining pizzas. If you’re using a wood-fired oven the pizzas should cook, one by one, in about 3 to 4 minutes – you want them to be puffed up, crispy and delicious. In a regular oven, they’ll take 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Ingredients
250 ml semi-skimmed milk
1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast
2½ teaspoons caster sugar
400 g gluten-free bread flour , plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large free-range egg
olive oil
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
FOR THE TOPPING
½ bunch of fresh basil
1 clove of garlic , peeled
1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 x 125 g balls of buffalo mozzarella
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Place a pizza stone or a large baking tray in the oven to heat up.
2. Heat the milk in a small pan over a low heat until lukewarm, then place 50ml into a jug with the yeast and sugar. Mix well, then set aside
for a few minutes until starting to bubble.
3. Meanwhile, sieve the flour, xanthan gum and salt into a large bowl, then make a well in the middle. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, 3
tablespoons of olive oil and the remaining milk, then pour it into the well, along with the yeast mixture. Gradually bring the mixture together with a fork until it forms a smooth dough.
4. In a small cup, combine the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, then quickly knead it into the mixture. Place the dough into a lightly oiled
bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, then leave to prove in a warm place for around 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Meanwhile, make the topping. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely chop the stalks and the garlic. Heat a splash of olive oil
in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the basil stalks and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until golden. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, break them up with the back of a wooden spoon, then cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened. Transfer to a blender along with half the reserved basil leaves, blitz until smooth, then season to taste.
