Pizza Night

Why pizza night works

Having a crowd round for dinner sounds exhausting, but pizza night is different. You do the prep hours before anyone shows up, then spend the evening assembling and cooking rather than stuck at the stove.

Make your dough in the afternoon, chop your toppings, and when people arrive you just roll, top and bake. Each pizza takes roughly ten minutes in the oven, so you can produce them steadily without panic. It also solves the problem of catering to different tastes. Put out bowls of toppings and let people build their own. Someone wants pepperoni, someone else wants vegetables only: everyone gets what they want.

A straightforward pizza dough

This recipe makes enough for about four pizzas. You can stretch it thinner for more bases or keep them thicker if you prefer a chewier result. For those avoiding gluten or wanting more fibre, substitute some or all of the flour with wholemeal or a gluten-free blend, though the texture will differ.

You will need:

  • 650g strong white bread flour (about 5 cups)
  • One 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast (check your packet, as sizes vary slightly)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 25ml olive oil (about 1½ tablespoons)
  • 50ml warm milk (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 325ml warm water (about 1⅓ cups)

Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast and salt. Give it a quick stir to combine. Pour in the olive oil and warm milk, then gradually add the water, mixing as you go. You want a soft dough that comes together without being too sticky. Depending on your flour, you may need slightly more or less water.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes. You are looking for a smooth, elastic texture. When you poke it, the dough should spring back gently.

Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film, and leave somewhere genuinely warm. In cooler months, a kitchen worktop may not cut it. Try an airing cupboard or an oven that has been briefly warmed to around 25°C then switched off. The dough needs around an hour and a half to double in size.

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Toppings and assembly

Once your dough has risen, knock it back by pressing out the air, then divide it into portions. Roll or stretch each piece into a rough circle. Perfection is not the goal here.

For the base sauce, tinned chopped tomatoes work well. Drain off some of the liquid, then season with a pinch of salt, a little dried oregano, and a crushed garlic clove if you like. Passata is another option and needs no draining.

Fresh mozzarella balls, torn into pieces, give the best texture and avoid the excess moisture you get from grating. Cheddar works too if that is what you have, though the flavour will be quite different.

Beyond that, set out whatever toppings suit your group. Sliced peppers, mushrooms, olives, ham, pepperoni, sweetcorn, red onion, anchovies, rocket and fresh basil all work. Prepare everything in advance and arrange in small bowls so people can help themselves. Prepped vegetables keep well in the fridge for a day if covered.

Cooking and serving

Heat your oven as high as it will reliably go. Most domestic ovens reach somewhere between 220°C and 250°C, which is fine. If you have a pizza stone or a heavy baking tray, put it in while the oven heats up. A hot surface gives you a crisper base.

Slide each assembled pizza onto the hot stone or tray. Start checking after six minutes. Depending on your oven and thickness, pizzas typically take six to twelve minutes. The cheese should be bubbling and the edges turning golden brown.

Serve straight away. Pizza cools quickly and the base goes soft if it sits around. Cut with a sharp knife or pizza wheel and hand out slices as each one comes out of the oven.

If you are making several in a row, keep the dough portions covered while you work so they do not dry out. The whole setup is forgiving. If a base tears or a topping slides off, it still tastes good. That is the point: good food, low stress, no fuss.