In theory, making pizza at home – particularly with kids involved – should be fun. In practice, making pizza at home – particularly with kids involved – is total mayhem. Flour goes everywhere, there’s dough stuck to every work surface and everyone remembers just that bit too late that they should have put the base on the baking tray before the toppings went on. The solution? Pizza al taglio, or “by the cut” pizza, with which one large, traybake pizza serves four happy (and flour-free) people. I’ve given ideas for two toppings below, but what goes on top is really a free-for-all, so play around as much as you (or any kids) like.
Pizza al taglio base
Al taglio pizza, which is sold by the slice in Rome and beyond, is really versatile, because the toppings can be added before or after the base is cooked, or indeed both. I’ve given instructions for making the dough in a stand mixer and by hand.
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Rest 3½ hr
Makes 1 large tray pizza, to serve 4-6 (depending on toppings)
450g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp granulated or caster sugar
7g fast-action dried yeast (ie, 1 sachet)
70g fine or medium semolina
90ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 tbsp flaked sea salt
Put the flour, sugar, yeast, 50g of the semolina, 30ml of the oil and 320ml warm (but not boiling hot) water in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Knead for 10 minutes on medium-high speed, adding the salt halfway through, until the mix comes together into a smooth and elastic dough, then tip out on to a lightly floured work surface. Alternatively, mix in a bowl, then knead by hand for 12-15 minutes. The dough should be slightly moist and tacky, but not sticking to your hands: if it is sticky, add a little extra flour.
Gently shape the dough into a smooth ball, then put it in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover and keep in a warm spot for two hours, until doubled in size.
Grease a 30cm x 45cm oven tray with 40ml of the remaining oil, then evenly scatter the remaining 30g semolina over the tray. Tip out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface, then, using your knuckles, gently knock out all the air. Gently reshape it into a ball, then use your fingertips to spread it out into a roughly 20cm x 30cm rectangle. Lay this in the centre of the oily tray and leave to rest uncovered for 90 minutes, every now and then stretching the dough towards the corners of the tray, until it is evenly spread right to the very edges and not springing back.
Heat the oven to its highest setting – ideally to 250C (230C fan)/480F/gas 9¼; for most people, though, the top setting is 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9, in which case just bake the pizza for an extra minute or two, until the base is crisp. Lightly drizzle the remaining 20ml oil over the top of the dough and scatter over your toppings of choice (see below for some suggestions). Put the tray on the highest shelf in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating it once halfway, until the crust is golden and crisp and the dough thick, fluffy and almost focaccia-like. Scatter over any finishing toppings of your choice, transfer to a board, cut into squares and serve hot.
Kale, taleggio and hot honey pizza
Test kitchen development chef Jake Norman’s first job in a kitchen was at La Pizzeria sin nombre in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they made only two pizzas: one red and one green. This pizza is in honour of – and an evolution of – the green one. All the various elements can be made ahead of time (incidentally, they are also uncommonly good piled into a toastie).
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Makes 1 large tray pizza, or 2 small ones, to serve 4
For the chilli honey
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp runny honey
Fine sea salt and black pepper
For the kale and basil sauce
150g kale, stems removed and discarded (110g net)
20g basil
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
30g cream cheese
60ml olive oil
For the grilled onions
2 onions – a mix of 1 red and 1 brown looks great – peeled and cut into 1cm-thick rings (280g)
2 tbsp olive oil
To serve
20ml olive oil
1 uncooked pizza al taglio base (see previous recipe)
300g taleggio, or another stretchy cheese such as mozzarella or scamorza, cut into ½cm-thick slices
First, make the honey. Put the chilli flakes and tomato paste in a small saucepan with two tablespoons of water, bring up to a simmer, then cook, stirring often, for 90 seconds, or until almost all the water has evaporated and the tomato paste is bubbling. Take off the heat, stir in the oil and leave to cool. Once cool, whisk in the honey, a teaspoon and a half of water and a quarter-teaspoon of salt and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
Now for the sauce. Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil, drop in the kale leaves, blanch for two minutes, then drain and hold under running cold water to cool and to stop them cooking further. Squeeze out the excess water, then put the kale in the small bowl of a food processor with all the remaining sauce ingredients, 60ml water, an eighth of a teaspoon salt and a few twists of black pepper. Blitz smooth, then set aside.
Put a griddle pan on a medium-high heat and ventilate the kitchen. Toss the onions in the oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt to coat, taking care that the rings stay intact, then griddle for three to four minutes on each side until charred and softened. Transfer to a large plate and season with pepper.
Heat the oven to its highest setting as in the previous recipe, and ideally to 250C (230C fan)/485F/gas 9½. Lightly drizzle 20ml oil over the uncooked pizza base, spread two-thirds of the kale sauce on top and scatter the taleggio evenly over that. Bake for 18-20 minutes as in the previous recipe, then remove from the oven. Spoon over the remaining sauce, scatter on the charred onions, drizzle over the chilli honey and serve hot.
Fennel and chilli-spiced mushroom, basil and ricotta pizza
This is my vegetarian homage to the indisputable OG of all pizzas, namely the pepperoni, using the “meatiest” of all veg, mushrooms, and making them sweet, salty, smokey and spicy.
Prep 25 min
Cook 20 min
Makes 1 large tray pizza, to serve 4
For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
⅛ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Fine sea salt and black pepper
1 x 400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
¼ tsp granulated or caster sugar
½ tsp red-wine vinegar
For the mushrooms
400g portobello mushrooms, cut into ½cm-thick slices
¼ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
To serve
1 uncooked pizza al taglio base (see first recipe)
20ml olive oil
250g firm mozzarella, drained
200g ricotta
15g basil leaves
First make the sauce. Put a small saucepan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the oil, garlic, chilli flakes and a good twist of black pepper, and sizzle for a minute, stirring, until fragrant and starting to colour. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, turn down the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring regularly and crushing the tomatoes with the spoon as you do so, until the sauce thickens slightly and turns a deep red. Take off the heat and set aside.
Heat the oven to 230C (210C fan)/460F/gas 8½. Put all the ingredients for the mushrooms in a medium bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good twist of black pepper, and mix well. Spread out the mushroom mix on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, then roast for 12 minutes, turning the mushrooms over halfway. Take the tray out the oven and set aside to cool.
When you’re ready to bake the pizza, heat the oven to its highest setting as in the previous recipes. To assemble the pizza, spread 20ml oil over the uncooked pizza base, then spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the top. Tear up the mozzarella and scatter evenly over the tomato sauce, then scatter on the mushrooms. Bake for 18-20 minutes as in the previous recipes, until the bottom and edges are crisp, remove from the oven, then dollop and smear the ricotta on top of the pizza. Season with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a few twists of black pepper, scatter over the basil leaves and serve.
