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Traditional Italian Pizza

Make your own pizza at home and add any topping of your choice to this basic cheese pizza with a tomato and garlic sauce base.Try various combinations of seafood, meat or vegetables, then top with garnishes of your choice, the only limitation is your imagination.

Ingredients:
• 2pkts. of dry yeast
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 large cup lukewarm water
• 1 lb. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 9 tbs. oil
• 2 medium cups tomato and garlic sauce
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:

1) Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar into 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes, then stir the yeast and sugar into the water until completely dissolved. Put the mixture in a draught- free place for 3-5 minutes or until the yeast bubbles up and the mixture almost doubles in volume.

2) Sift the flour and salt together and make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture, 1 medium cup of lukewarm water and 3 tablespoons of the oil.

3) Work the mixture into dough using your hands and knead for about 15 minutes until smooth, shiny and elastic.

4) Dust the dough lightly with flour; put it in a clean bowl and cover. Place the bowl in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

5) Preheat the oven to 500ºF.

6) Punch the dough down with your fists and break off about one quarter of it to make the first of the 4 pizzas.

7) Knead the small piece on a floured board for a minute or so, working in a little flour if the dough seems sticky and roll the dough out using a rolling pin until you have a circle of pastry 10 inches across and about 1/8 inch thick.

8) Using your thumbs, crimp or flute the edge of the circle until it forms a little rim.

9) Dust a large baking baking sheet with cornflour and gently place the pizza dough on it.

10) Repeat step 7 with the remaining dough to make the other 3 pizzas.

11) Pour ½ cup of the sauce on each pizza and swirl it around with the back of a spoon.
 
12) To make a cheese pizza, sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of the pizza and bake it in the lowest shelf of the oven for about 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
(makes 4 ten-inch pizzas)

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