There’s a lot to love about the month of February, the never-ending month of January is finally over, Spring is near with brighter evenings, longer days and slightly higher temperatures. However, one of the best things about February is the ninth day of the month, an occasion known as National Pizza Day!
Pizza is the ultimate comfort food available to anyone, anywhere. You have ordered it for celebratory parties, ordered it when you are down in the dumps or when you just couldn’t be bothered to cook. Food courier service ‘Deliveroo’ found that 18% of restaurants offer pizza as a dish, maintaining its position as one of the most popular dishes on the app!
From the humble beginnings of sauce on flatbread to today’s gastronomic offerings, pizza has captured the hearts and stomachs of people around the world. There are many disputes about what creates the best pizza, with the biggest debate of all being whether pineapple belongs on a pizza or not. Regardless of individual taste, everyone agrees that Pizza is one of the best culinary inventions.
Although the dish has a bad reputation with some offering copious amounts of cheeses, greasy meats, and over sweetened sauces, a pizza hankering doesn’t mean you need to abandon all of your healthy goals. The best way to make your slice more nutritional is to make your own rather than order a delivery.
Let us inspire you with a healthy version of the universal favourite and you can celebrate all things doughy and delicious by whipping up a batch with wholemeal crust, minimal cheese, and plenty of fresh produce. You’ll have no guilt indulging in this luxurious meal!
Ingredients:
White Bread Flour (125g)
Salt (½ tsp)
Wholemeal Bread Flour (100g)
Fast-action yeast (4g)
Courgette (1 x thinly diced)
Red pepper (1 x thinly diced)
Rosemary (1 tbsp)
Olive Oil (1 tbsp)
Garlic clove (1 x thinly sliced)
Passata (150ml)
Mozzarella (125g)
Wild rocket
Parma ham slices
Balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp)
Method:
Firstly, sift the white flour and salt into a large bowl, stir in the wholemeal flour and yeast, then make a well in the centre. Add 150-160ml warm water and bring together into a slightly sticky dough. Once the dough is soft, knead the dough vigorously on a lightly dusted work surface for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Return to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for about an hour until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile, toss the veg, rosemary, oil and garlic in a bowl. Season well and set aside.
Next, preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°. Knead the dough and then shape into 2 balls which are even in size. Stretch and roll each to make a rough 25cm circle. Ease the bases onto 2 floured non-stick rimless baking sheets. Spread the bases with Passata, leaving a 1cm border. Cover with the veg and scatter over the mozzarella. Leave to rise for 5-10 minutes,
Finally, bake on the sheets for 12-15 minutes until crisp and golden. Slide onto chopping boards and scatter with rocket and Parma ham. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, cut into wedges, enjoy!
