When I make pizza there are no shortcuts. Making it all from scratch from fresh ingredients does take a little longer but it is so worth it, and, good news, batch cooking pizzas is so easy and they freeze really well. Most of the pizza preparation time is waiting for the dough to prove or the sauce to reduce so you can mostly leave it to itself and then reap the rewards in the weeks to come. Coming home and knowing that dinner will be ready in 20 minutes is even better when you know it’s a fantastic homemade pizza.
Ingredients
You will need (for 6-8 pizzas worth):
For the pizza dough:
1kg strong white bread flour
14g fast action yeast
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
600ml warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
For the tomato sauce:
1 kg fresh tomatoes
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Small handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
Toppings of your choice
Method
Part of the reason this is so easy is because I chuck everything into my mixer and leave it to do the hard work for me, but, if you’re so inclined you can make it by hand.
Put all of the dough ingredients, apart from the water, into the mixer bowl and give everything a quick stir together. Get the mixer on a low speed and slowly add the water. Keep mixing until combined then increase the speed to knead the dough for five minutes.
Leave the dough in the bowl covered with a damp tea towel and put aside for an hour until risen.
While you are waiting for the dough start making the tomato sauce. Add the onion and a splash of oil to a saucepan on a low heat and leave the onion to soften, stirring from time to time, for 15 minutes.
Chop the tomatoes roughly and remove as many seeds as you can, don’t worry if a few slip through.
Add the garlic to the pan and leave to cook for a few minutes then tip in the tomatoes. Stir everything together well then leave the pan, lid partly on, to simmer for half an hour. Stir occasionally.
Once the sauce has reduced by about a third, add the salt, pepper and basil and then leave the lid off for the sauce to cool.
Turn the pizza dough out onto a floured surface and knock it back. Divide into six or eight, depending on how big you would like your finished pizzas.
Put the dough into freezer bags and divide the tomato sauce up into bags or pots too and pop into the freezer.
I always leave some dough and sauce out so I can make a pizza straight away; it smells too good not to.
Pre-heat an oven to 220C. Lightly oil a large baking tray.
Roll the pizza dough out on a floured surface until it’s the right size for your baking tray. Square, rectangle, round, they all taste the same!
Put the dough onto the baking tray, spread over the tomato sauce and then add your toppings. My most recent topping was mozzarella, speck and mushrooms and you can add whatever you like.
Put the pizza on a high shelf in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden and the cheese is bubbling.
I made this most recent batch of tomato sauce using red and orange tomatoes; the orange ones added such a sweetness to the sauce and the red ones a real depth of flavour. This tomato sauce also makes excellent sauce for pasta too and I’ve used it for Bolognese in the past. Proper homemade pizzas do take some beating, I love that I know exactly what’s in them and you can add as much or as little of the toppings as you like. The dough is best defrosted in the fridge the morning before you want to eat it in the evening and once the dough and sauce are done it takes no time at all to throw it together.
I wish I had more space in my freezer! Homemade pizza dough is definitely much fresher.
Hi Caroline, your pizza looks delicious. I need to make some pizza dough now, it is a fantastic way to prepare a quick meal. Have a great week-end!
Same here, need more room in my freezer! But great idea and nice base recipes.
LOVE this post! I always wish I was more of a dinner prep-er so this is great inspiration. And now I’m craving pizza :). Have a great weekend, Caroline!
Can’t wait to try your dough recipe. I have yet to find one that makes me happy! And I like how much dough your recipe makes!
This is a great idea, I have never thought to prep like this.
What a super idea to have both dough and sauce ready to go! It wouldn’t be any more work to make a larger batch!
I love making my own pizzas but I don’t make them often enough. they are so easy and delicious so simple I always forget lol. I love the idea of making them ahead of time then freezing them, that’s the answer to a lot of my problems.
I am so going to do this for when my parents are here in December. Easy peasy dinner for when I don’t feel like cooking and when I don’t have time.
The magic of pizza is all in the sauce!
Love pizza! And homemade really is the best, isn’t it? Love yours — so full of flavor. Thanks!
There’s nothing quite like homemade pizza!
Wow!! this pizza looks superb!! Such a yummy pizza. And a great idea to have homemade pizza dough. 🙂
great idea! i always cheat and buy pizza dough but this is inspiring. i do love a freezer stash. 🙂
I love homemade pizza dough, and I love the idea of making more dough and storing in the freezer for future use…the pizza looks delicious Caroline!
Have a wonderful week 🙂
I’ve made pizza from scratch a couple of times and you’re right, it is special. That said, I have been using store-bought dough as a shortcut. This is good inspiration. Such a fun dinner at home.
dang! didn’t realize pizza dough was that quick. i thought it was a multi-rise kind of thing. i see homemade pizza in my future (;
Lovely. I’ve never thought to freeze the dough!
This is a great post and idea! I need to get more pizza dough made and in my freezer so we have it in hand.
Fantastic! You know, I’ve never really thought to freeze the dough. I’m also lucky enough to have a wood fired pizza oven so I better get better organised.