Soho Pizza

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 teaspoon golden brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon easy blend dried yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• olive oil, for greasing
• peanut oil or sunflower oil, for brushing
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (400 g) can chopped italian plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 dried bay leaf, torn into two pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 black olives, stoned and halved
• 1 (150 g) package mozzarella cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• dried oregano, for sprinkling
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 cup fresh rocket
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, shavings

Recipe

• 1 sift the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into a large bowl.
• 2 stir in 1/2 cup tepid water, micing first with a spoon and then with your hand, until everything comes together into a ball that comes cleanly away from the inside of the bowl.
• 3 tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes.
• 4 rinse the bowl to remove any remnants of dough.
• 5 dry it and sprinkle with a touch of flour, or rub a few drops olive oil around the inside.
• 6 put in the dough, turning to coat evenly with flour or oil.
• 7 cover with a damp cloth and leave to double in size in a warm place.
• 8 heat the oil in a medium pan over the lowest possible heat and fry the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until softened but not browned.
• 9 add the other sauce ingredients and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 10 grindings black pepper.
• 10 stir everything together well and simmer uncovered on a medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a thickish sauce.
• 11 knock back the dough.
• 12 divide in half and knead each ball until smooth.
• 13 cover each with an upturned bowl and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
• 14 turn your oven on to the highest temperature it will go and slice in 2 shelves with a gap of about 7.
• 15 5 cm between them.
• 16 (the pizza's don't rise) lightly brush 2 large heavy baking sheets with oil.
• 17 roll out each piece of dough on a floured surface to a 23 cm disk, knock off any excess flour underneath and place on baking sheets.
• 18 cover each base with a quarter of the tomato sauce.
• 19 (freeze the rest for another time) spread the sauce almost to the edge.
• 20 dot with olives and diced mozzarella.
• 21 finely chop the garlic and sprinkle it on top with salt, pepper, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
• 22 bake for 10 to 12 minutes, swapping the shelves at half time.
• 23 remove from the oven, pile on the rocket and scatter over the parmesan.
• 24 drizzle with a little more olive oil.