Who doesn’t love that first bite into a cheesy slice of pizza piled high with all your favourite toppings? Many of us are used to indulging in the Italian dish when we’re out and about, ordering a takeaway or picking up something quick to throw in the oven, but it is actually surprisingly easy to make yourself and you probably have all the kit you need already in your cupboards.
Must-have pizza making accessories
You can find a basic pizza dough recipe by heading to the bottom of this post but before that we’re going to talk you through a number of items you have probably never thought of making pizza with, well, apart from one…
A pizza stone
Okay, so you probably have thought of making pizza with your pizza stone, but if you don’t already own one these are a real game-changer when it comes to creating restaurant-standard pizzas in the comfort of your own home and we couldn’t write a post about pizza without mentioning it! Made from heat retaining ceramic, the stone will keep your pizza hot for up to half an hour and helps deliver that crispy base that pizza chefs master so well.
A cast iron casserole dish
Often saved for stews, curries and sauce-based recipes, a shallow casserole dish is actually a great piece of kit to make a delicious pizza. Cast iron is superb at distributing and retaining an even heat, just make sure to roll your pizza dough out to a slightly smaller shape than the size of your dish… you will need to lift it out once cooked after all!
Place your cast iron dish in the oven to preheat to around 220°C. Roll out your dough, add your toppings and brush your crust with a little olive oil. Sprinkle flour over the base of your cast iron dish before gently placing your pizza base inside, taking care not to touch the hot edges of the pan. Bake for 5 minutes before checking that it is cooking evenly – this is a great time to add a little more olive oil to your crust if you want it really crispy! The pizza is ready when the cheese has melted to a medium-to-dark brown colour.
A frying pan, yes really!
This way of making pizzas is completely underrated and is great if you don’t have room to store a pizza stone – we recommend using a stainless steel frying pan for the best results.
All you need to do is roll out your dough (don’t make it too thick or it won’t cook through) slightly smaller than your frying pan base, add a glug of oil to your pan and place over a medium heat. Once it is simmering add your dough, flipping it after a minute or two when you start to see the dough bubble. Add your toppings straight away and cover with the frying pan lid for 4-5 minutes until your cheese has melted and the bottom of your dough is golden brown.
A reversible griddle
If you want to cook your pizzas al fresco but don’t have a fancy pizza oven to do so, our cast iron reversible griddle may be the perfect solution.
Place your griddle onto your BBQ and allow both to heat up before sprinkling with a little oil and adding your rolled out dough. Cook both sides before adding your chosen toppings and if possible, shut the lid and reduce the heat if using a gas BBQ (if using charcoal close the vents until they’re almost completely shut) until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Let is rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and enjoy!
Top tip: always ensure any raw toppings are cooked before adding to your pizza
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