Foodtube
By Jamie Oliver
Buddy's quick pizzettas
With an easy tomato sauce, mozzarella & basil
30 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 8
About the recipe
Homemade mini pizzas are a brilliant way to get kids and adults cooking together. Set out all your toppings and choose your favourites!
Recipe From
Ingredients
DOUGH
350g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
olive oil
250g natural yoghurt
SIMPLE TOMATO BASE (MARGHERITA)
2 cloves of garlic
1 x 400g tin of quality plum tomatoes
½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)
THREE-CHEESE TOPPING
1 fresh red chilli
50g Cheddar cheese
30g Parmesan cheese
150g mozzarella cheese
HAM & MUSHROOM TOPPING
4 chestnut mushrooms
2 slices of higher-welfare cooked ham
Top Tip
EASY SWAPS
– Switch the fresh red chilli for a few sliced jalapeños, a pinch of dried chilli flakes, or leave it out altogether.
– Instead of basil in your tomato sauce, feel free to use fresh or dried oregano, marjoram, or even a little chopped fresh rosemary.
– Mix it up with different melty cheeses; think red Leicester, Parmesan, or Gruyère.
– Experiment with different topping combos: spinach, feta and pine nuts, or olives, jarred peppers and smoked mozzarella.
VEG BOOST
– You could use up leftover roasted veg here: peppers, onions, aubergine or squash would all work really well.
ON THE SIDE
– Delicious with green salad leaves, quartered tomatoes and slices of cucumber.
Jamie wholeheartedly believes that cooking is up there as one of the most valuable skills you can teach a child. Getting kids excited about food, where it comes from and how to cook it, gives them a better chance of being healthier and happier in the long run. When cooking with kids, use your common sense to determine what jobs they can help you with, depending on their age and skill level. It’s always good to start small, with jobs such as mixing and measuring, then progress to elements of a recipe, then go on to slightly trickier techniques over time. The more they cook, the better they’ll get. Make sure you supervise them when using heat or sharp utensils like knives and box graters, and teach them about the importance of washing their hands before they start, and after handling raw meat and fish, as well as other basic hygiene rules. Most of all, have fun with it, and encourage them to give things a go.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9 (full whack) or as hot as it will go. Place 2 large baking trays in to heat up.
- Place the flour in a large bowl with a small pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the yoghurt. Mix well with a spatula until you can’t move it anymore, then use your clean hands to form it into a dough. Turn onto a board and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Plop it back into the bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to one side while you make your sauce.
- Peel and finely slice the garlic and place in a medium pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the tomatoes. Use a potato masher to squash everything down to make a lovely smooth sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, or until thickened, then tear in most of the basil, season to perfection and set aside.
- Now for the fun bit. Place your dough on a flour-dusted surface and divide into 8 pieces. Line up all your toppings so they’re ready to go: finely chop the red chilli and grate the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Pick the remaining basil leaves (and finely chop, if you like), thinly slice the mushrooms. and tear the ham into small pieces. Roll the pieces of dough into thin rounds, stacking them up between sheets of greaseproof paper as you go to stop them sticking.
- Carefully remove the baking trays from the oven (get an adult to help you with this bit!). Transfer your pizza bases to the hot trays and, working quickly, spoon over the tomato sauce over each base, spreading out with a spoon. Tear over the mozzarella and add your favourite toppings. Pop the trays back in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until the bases are crispy and the cheese is bubbling. Slice into triangles and serve with a side salad.
Tags
