Your Favourite Food Channel aka Healthy Yums

This is my debut on this blog, even though a few of my recipes have made their way on here already. Today's lesson - Pizza.

When I was in high school I made spending money doing many different jobs, but I moonlighted as a pizza maker where I learned all kinds of things about how to make a really good pizza. I also learned what not to do, and how most pizza places rip off their customers (because they use really cheap ingredients). Without further adeu, its time to impart my knowledge...

The most important thing when making a pizza is to consider the crust and the sauce. Toppings are simple (as they are usually not prepared in any way other than cutting), but its the sauce and crust that make a really good pizza. For most pizza makers these recipes are highly guarded - and for good reason - their livelihood depends on it being a secret. Another thing to keep in mind is to use a pizza screen for thin crust pizza - circulation is everything for dough that is not pre-cooked. Lastly, the thicker your toppings the longer the cook time (this may be obvious).

Sauce should be more sweet. Dough should not be too sweet. If you follow these rules, you'll probably be on the right track. I've made dough sweet before, and it can work, but the sauce dictates a lot, and when you blend sugar or honey with tomatoes, the result is very good. Here is a pretty good recipe for wholemeal pizza dough (although I don't follow it exactly). The problem with using wholemeal flour is that you wind up with dough that is either too sticky or too dry. Because of this I like to go through the rising stages on the sticky side, and then generously flour the mesh to prevent sticking once the baking begins. Remember that wholemeal flour benefits a lot from multiple rises. Do it right, and you should have something that looks like this.
Next is the sauce. I won't give away my secrets (Ayu has already told of the basic ingredients, and I usually make my sauce to my taste anyways), but I will tell you that a thicker sauce, with the right amount of sweet, the right amount of olive oil, and a balanced blend of spices can basically make a pizza. I've made pizza on dough without yeast (just egg, flour and water - which in general I do not recommend), and it worked because of the sauce. I'm sure you can find plenty of recipes for sauces online, but don't be scared to invent your own. It's pretty difficult to mess up beyond repair - if too sweet or spicy, add more tomatoes or sauce. When spreading the sauce, do not spread it too thick. If you do, it may be difficult to eat because the toppings will slide off. A thin, even layer is what we're looking for. I've been experimenting lately with adding chilies to my sauce and have been getting great results.
Next, the toppings. Some people like to put meat at the bottom, but I prefer any leafy greens to go down there to keep the overall profile of the pizza down. Cheese on top helps ensure this as well. Feel free to go crazy at this point and let your imagination run wild (I used canned tuna on this pizza after the chopped spinach, and it turned out surprisingly well). One tendency that I have noticed with most people making pizza, is that they tend to over-cheese because they think it is necessary. I used to do this as well, until college when my best friend introduced me to the concept of cheese-less pizza. I know, it sounds like culinary blasphemy, but since then I've noticed I like pizza a lot more if it only has a small amount of cheese (just to add to the taste, not to be the focal point). I would encourage anyone who is lactose intolerant, or just wants to cut calories to try this as well. You may find, like I did, that you like it better.
The last picture (sliced tomatoes on the top) is something Ayu and I have come to love. It tends to make the cheese underneath softer, and also adds an interesting texture and look to the pizza.

Now is time for baking. As noted previously, the thicker the topping layer, the longer the cook time. I cook pizzas at 220ºC (or 425ºF), on the middle rack, on the convection setting (if you have it on your oven). A pizza like this takes around 20 minutes, and allow it to cool a few minutes before slicing. The finished result should look somewhat similar to the following.
Happy Cooking!