for about 30 minutes or until it is bubbling and foamy.
Combine the flour (reserve 2 Tbsp for kneading) and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast liquid. Using a wooden spoon, work the ingredients together by pulling the flour into the liquid until it comes together. Use your hands to transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a round loaf. Leave to rise under a clean tea towel for about 1½–2 hours or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and knead for a couple of minutes. Divide into four balls. Press each dough ball out flat and, using a floured rolling pin, shape into a 25–30cm/10–12in diameter circle. Using your knuckles, press just inside the edges to raise them slightly. Leave to rest for 10–15 minutes. Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.
Add your toppings. Cook in the middle of the oven for 10–12 minutes (unless otherwise instructed depending on the toppings) or until crispy and golden and the base is cooked.
Gluten-free quick pizza base dough
175g/6oz brown or white rice flour
1 Tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
225ml/8fl oz plain yogurt
Makes 2 x 30cm/12in thin crusts
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 6. Combine the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the yogurt and stir until roughly combined. Turn the dough on to a floured surface and knead for 1 minute, or until it comes together into a smooth ball. Form into two balls with your hands and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about 1cm/½in thick and 25cm/10in in diameter. Place onto a lightly floured baking sheet and top as required. Cook in the middle of the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes or until cooked and golden.
Quick scone base
250g/9oz plain (All purpose) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
30g/1¼oz butter (at room temperature), cut into cubes
200ml/7–9fl oz milk
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Sift and combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubes of butter and lightly rub into the flour until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the milk to the rubbed mixture and stir with a palette knife or metal spoon until it begins to come together. Finish it off with your hands – it should be soft but not sticky (if the dough seems too dry add a little more milk, a teaspoon at a time). The dough should come together and leave the sides of the bowl clean.
Shape the dough into a ball with your hands and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out to about 1cm/½in thick and 25cm/10in in diameter.
Place the round on a lightly floured baking sheet and top as required. Cook in the middle of the preheated oven for 12–18 minutes, depending on the topping, or until cooked and golden.
Focaccia pizza base
2 tsp dried granular yeast
250ml/9fl oz lukewarm water
500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
Makes 2 x 25cm/10in pizzas
Sprinkle the yeast into the water. Leave to dissolve for 5–10 minutes. Combine the flour (reserving about 2 Tbsp for kneading) and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the olive oil and yeasted water. Using a wooden spoon, work the ingredients together by pulling the flour into the liquid mixture until it comes together, adding a little additional water if necessary. Using your hands, transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it is smooth, silky and elastic in texture. Form the dough into a ball and put in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for about 1–1½ hours or until doubled in size.
Once doubled in size, knock the dough back and knead for a further 5 minutes. Cut the dough into two even-sized pieces, press out flat and, using a floured rolling pin, shape into about 25cm/10in rounds. Cover again and leave to rest for a further 15–20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Using the tips of your fingers, make shallow indentations all over the surface of the dough. The dough is now ready to be topped. Cook on a lightly floured baking sheet in the middle of the oven for 14–16 minutes or until golden and the base is cooked through.
Sweet honey pizza base
2 tsp dried granular yeast
125ml/4fl oz lukewarm water
175ml/6fl oz lukewarm full-fat milk
175ml/6fl oz runny honey
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg, beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
8g/¼oz saffron powder (optional)
1 tsp salt
550–600g/1lb 4oz–1lb 5oz plain flour
Makes 2 x 30cm/12in thick-crust bases or 4 x 30cm/12in thin-crust bases
Sprinkle the yeast into the water. Leave to dissolve for 5–10 minutes. Add the milk, honey, oil, egg, lemon zest and saffron (if using) to the yeast mixture and stir well. Sift the salt and flour into the wet mixture and mix to a dough, adding additional flour if necessary to form a ball. Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10–15 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to a clean bowl and leave covered for about 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
Knock the dough back and divide into two or four, depending on the desired thickness of the base required, and shape into 25–30cm/10–12in rounds. Leave the dough to rest for 10–15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Add your toppings. Cook the pizzas in the middle of the oven for 10–12 minutes for a thin base or 15–18 minutes for a thicker base or until lightly golden and crispy.
Egg pasta
200g/7oz plain flour
100g/4oz semolina flour
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 Tbsp olive oil
Serves 4
Place the flours and salt in a large bowl and mix together. Make a hollow reservoir in the centre and crack the eggs into it and add the oil. With a fork slowly break up the eggs and draw the flour in to make a paste. Keep going until all of the flour has been mixed in and it forms a ball. If it is too damp add a little more flour and if too dry add a little more water. Knead the dough until it is soft and silky and when you press your finger into it the depression bounces out. This will take about 10 minutes (but depends on how consistently you knead). Wrap the pasta in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
When it comes to rolling the pasta you can either use a pasta machine, following the directions supplied, or alternatively roll the dough on a lightly-floured work-surface using a rolling pin. Roll the pasta, turning occasionally, until it is thin enough for you to see your fingers through it. Leave the pasta to dry in sheets or cut into shapes as desired.
Chicken stock
1 uncooked chicken carcass or whole chicken about 1kg/2lb 4oz)