Thick Crust Pizza (with Yeast)

Ingredients

For the pizza base:

White flour………..……..…….1 ½ cup
Sugar…..……...…………..…....½   tea spoon
Salt…………………………..…….½ tea spoon
Yeast…………………….......….1 tea spoon
Water……………..……………..½ cup
Oil………..……………………..…2 table spoon
 
For the toppings:
Tomato ketchup………….…..6 table spoon
Grated mozzarella cheese.…2 cup
Garlic……………………….……..2 (large, finely chopped)
Mixed herbs…………..………..1 ½ tea spoon
Chestnut mushrooms…...….175g (diced)
Bell pepper…......………………1 (cut in juliennes)
Or any other topping/s as required
Salt to taste

Method

For the pizza base:

• Mix the water and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Mix in the flour, salt and oil and make dough.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside for an hour or until it doubles in size in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Divide it into 3 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and roll each ball into the required pizza base shape (circle/square) with a rolling pin or by hand. Keep the edges (crust) thicker than the centre.
• Place on a baking paper.
• Pierce each pizza base with a fork at random place to keep it from puffing up while it cooks.

For the toppings:

• Apply 2 table spoon of tomato ketchup on each base.
• Sprinkle the garlic and add the toppings on the pizza base.
• Sprinkle some mixed herbs and salt on the toppings.
• Lastly top the pizza with the cheese.

To cook the pizza:

• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 225° C along with a baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray and place the pizza on the tray along with the baking paper it is placed on and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 10-15 min or until pizza base is cooked and cheese has melted. 

Cut the pizza as required with a pizza cutter and serve hot.

Makes: 3