For fun and affordable dining this summer why not try your hand at Garth McColgan’s recipe for Home Made Pizza?

Ingredients

  • for pizza base:
  • 700 g self-raising flour
  • 375 ml warm water
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • for tomato sauce:
  • 2 tins chopped tomatoes (sieved)
  • 0.5 tsp herbes de provence
  • 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large tbsp tomato relish
  • mushroom mix topping:
  • 250 g mushrooms (sliced thinly)
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
  • 30 g butter
  • 1 tsp herbes de provence
  • caramelised red onion topping:
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
  • 2 red onions (peeled and thinly sliced)
  • 2 tblsp caster sugar
  • 2 tblsp balsamic vinegar
  • 30 g butter

Method

  • For Pizza Base:
  • In a large bowl mix the flour, salt and sugar together. Drizzle in the oil and stir gently. Add 300ml of warm water and mix together. If still a little dry continue adding the remaining water until you have dough that comes together.
  • Leave the dough to rest, covered, for 20 minutes. Split the dough into 4 and roll out to fit a flat oven tray. Prick it all over with a fork. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 240°C for 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool. Now you are ready to build your pizza.
  • For Tomato Sauce:
  • Prepare tomatoes as described above and put into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth using a hand blender.
  • For Mushroom Mix Topping:
  • Melt butter over a high heat and add the mushrooms and salt. Cook for 5 minutes and you will see steam coming off them. Stir and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. At this stage you will see the mushrooms are becoming dry which really intensifies the flavour. They will also start to colour. Now add the herbs and cook for a further minute. They are ready to put on your pizza.
  • Caramelised Red Onion Topping:
  • Put all ingredients into a pot on a high heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot. Allow to cool before using.
  • Toppings:
  • Top the pizza as follows or use your own unique combination of ingredients to create your ‘House Special’. All pizzas will take 4-5 minutes in a very hot oven, or until the cheese is melting. I like to splash some Extra Virgin Olive Oil over them as they come out of the oven.
  • Pizza 1:
  • Top with Tomato Sauce, Brie, Prosciutto and Mushrooms.
  • Pizza 2:
  • Top with Chorizo Pamplona, Caramelised Red Onion, Pesto, Goat’s Cheese, Tomato Sauce and sliced Garlic.
  • Created by FoodActive's Garth McColgan for Aldi.