PIZZA AND PIZZETTE

LITTLE pizzas are perfect for feeding a crowd and you can have some fun with the toppings. The dough needs to be very soft so it can be stretched out thinly, therefore use minimal flour when kneading.

Makes 4 individual pizzas or 25 pizzette

Kit you’ll need

2–3 baking sheets or pizza baking stone

Baking paper

For the dough

500g (1lb 2oz) strong white bread flour

7g fine sea salt

7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and kneading 300ml (½ pint) lukewarm water Cornmeal, for dusting

For the bianco topping

1 tbsp green pesto

280g jar chargrilled artichokes in olive oil, drained and cut in half, 4 tbsp oil reserved

175g (6 oz) log-style goats’ cheese, cut into chunks 1 Put the bread flour and sea salt into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a food-mixer and mix well with your hand or the dough hook attachment. Mix in the dried yeast and make a well in the centre. 2 Pour the olive oil and lukewarm water into the well and mix everything together with your hand or the dough hook on the slowest speed. You should get a soft but not sticky dough. If the dough feels stiff or dry or there are stray dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, work in a little more lukewarm water, a tbsp at a time; if the dough feels very sticky, work in a little flour. 3 Rub some oil over your hands and the worktop to stop the dough sticking, then turn out the dough and knead it really well for about 10 minutes, or 5 minutes using the dough hook on the slowest speed. It should feel very pliable, stretchy and silky smooth. 4 Put the dough back in the bowl and cover the bowl tightly with clingfilm or a snap-on lid, or pop it into a large plastic bag and close tightly. Leave to rise on the worktop for about 1 hour until doubled in size, or in the fridge overnight. 5 Meanwhile make the bianco topping. Stir together the green pesto and artichoke oil in a small bowl. 6 Preheat the oven to its highest setting. If using a pizza baking stone, put this in the oven before you turn it on. Punch down (knock back) the risen dough with your knuckles to deflate it, then turn it out onto a lightly oiled worktop. 7 Weigh the dough and divide it into four portions for large pizzas, or 25 for mini pizzas. Lightly oil your hands then take the first ball of dough. If you are making 4 pizzas, pat, press and pull each portion of dough into a thin circle about 25cm (10in) across. Press your thumbs into the edges to make the dough slightly thicker and to make a 1.5cm (½in) rim all around. For mini pizza bases, roll dough pieces into balls, then press them out with oiled fingers into a neat circle 7.5cm (3in) across. 8 Cut baking paper to fit your baking sheets and dust them with cornmeal. Arrange the pizza bases on top. 9 Put the unlined baking sheets into the oven to heat up while you top your pizza bases. Give the pesto mixture a really good stir, then spread it thinly over the bases, almost to the rim. Scatter over the artichokes and goats’ cheese. 10 Take out the hot baking sheets, set them on a heatproof surface and carefully slide or lift the baking paper with the pizzas onto them, or onto your pizza stone. 11 Bake the larger pizzas for eight to ten minutes or until the edges are puffed, crisp and golden; bake the mini pizzas for five to ten minutes, making sure they don’t burn. Serve warm.