So cheesy. By Nina Tucker
For six years running, my better half and I have marked Valentine’s Day with easy, cheesy, homemade pizzas. We make the dough, shape it into hearts, and cover it with our preferred toppings. It’s so simple yet so special – an incredibly intimate date night activity and dinner in one.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 5 1/4 cups high-grade flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Pizza sauce of your choice: marinara, classic tomato, pesto
- 1-2 cups grated cheese, or mozzarella
- Toppings of your choice: pepperoni, sausage, ham, smoked salmon, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, olives, pineapple, basil – it doesn’t stop there – almost anything can be a topping.
METHOD
- Stir to dissolve warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over and then combine.
- Using a spatula, gently stir in olive oil, before adding 5 cups of flour and salt, until the mixture forms a sticky ball.
- Transfer to a floured surface (using the other 1/4 cup flour) and knead until smooth and slightly sticky.
- Place the ball back in the bowl, and drizzle olive oil to cover its surface area. Cover it with a tea towel and leave to rise until double its size (around 30 minutes to one hour). Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Once risen, return the dough to the floured surface and roll it into a log shape. Separate into 4 to 6 pieces depending on your preferred base size. If you’re patient enough, leave it to rise another 10 to 15 minutes at this step.
- Cover your baking trays or pizza stones in baking paper and preheat.
- To the dough balls, use a rolling pin to shape each into a circle and your desired crust thickness, and then use the ‘pinch and pull technique’ to form a heart. Fold up the sides to protect toppings. Repeat for each dough ball.
- Distribute bases amongst your trays or stones, and top evenly with pizza sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Transfer to oven and bake until golden and crispy.
TOP TIPS
- Throw (yes, throw) your initial dough ball onto a clean surface a few times. This helps to activate the gluten.
- Preheat pizza stones or oven trays so your masterpiece lands on a blisteringly hot surface straight away. This ensures a crispy crust and well-cooked toppings.
- Always start your toppings with sauce, then cheese to hold everything together. Add extra cheese on top if you want – although it can cover toppings like meat or vegetables that need the exposed surface area to cook.
- Opt for freshly grated cheese rather than store-bought, which is heavier and weighs your crust down.
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PINCH & PULL
This technique helps form well-shaped, semi-professional looking, Valentine’s Day-worthy loveheart pizzas. I didn’t adopt this method for a good few years and our pizzas always looked okay (it’s the thought that counts, right?) Simply pinch and pull the bottom of your circular base to form a point. Then, use one finger to drag the top middle downwards, towards the centre of the pizza, splitting it. Tweak it and shape it from there.
