First post. So I’m keeping it simple.
You cant go wrong with pizza. And you cant do much better than using pizza bases from artisan pizza co. I know things are supposed be better if they're home made but until I build my own authentic wood burning pizza oven in the garden I'm gona be quite happy to keep using these. They’re thin, give a great crisp finish and cook in no time. I eat these at least once every other week.
The crucial thing to remember is to get the oven preheated to as hot as it will go. For the topping I just liquidize tomatoes garlic, a pinch of chili and some thyme. Spread a thin layer over the base and top with a few tasty bits – anchovies, red onion, olives., a couple of slices of buffalo mozzarella. Just don’t overload it. Brush the edge with oil, into the oven and they’re done in a matter of minutes.
One tip - there's a knack to getting these pizza in the oven - they go straight on to the shelf – but make sure it sits evenly spread on the shelf with as little overhang as possible. If you have much more than an inch hanging over the edge not supported by part of the shelf then it will wilt before it crisps up and anything on that strip of the pizza will slide off on to your oven base. Given your oven will be at 250degreeC+ its gona bake on pretty hard.
If you want a more authentic cooking method then Heston Blumenthal has a great suggestion for how to replicate in your own kitchen the 450degreeC+ temperatures that you might expect from a real pizza oven. He suggests putting the grill and hob on full blast, and leaving a wide based Le Creuset type pan on the hob for at least 20 mins. Then turn it over and place it under the grill and slide the pizza in to cook on top of the upturned pan. Although you have to wait 20 minutes for your pan to heat up, your pizza will then cook in all of one minute.
