Kids-friendly Mini Pizzas

Ah, the feeling, when everything goes exactly as it should! When the pizza base is soft as a cushion, when the sauce is just right! I am about to float...

This time there is a change. I have taken pics at almost every step, to show you exactly how to make the pizza base.

 Gloating! And how!

I won't blabber much, just write the recipe.


Ingredients
For the base

• 3 cups flour
• 5 g yeast 
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 130 ml warm water

For the sauce

• 2 large tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 basil leaves
• 2 large sprigs of thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (more if you are making for grown ups)
• salt to taste

Toppings

• as per your choice
• large quantities of mozarella cheese

This is how much of the base ingredients you will require. Roughly. That is one cup flour. You will need 3 cups. And that is not wine in the wine glass, it's olive oil!

 

 2. Warm the water. Do not make it hot otherwise you will end up killing the yeast. You should be able to comfortably dip your finger in the water for more than 5 seconds. Add the yeast, and sugar to the water. Keep aside for ten minutes. The above picture is an examply of how frothy it gets. Looks like the foam on top of a latte, doesn't it?

  

 3. Add the above frothy mixture to the flour. This is EXACTLY how sticky it gets. Says who that kneading dough is therapeutic? Bread doughs get irritatingly messy. But that's just it... the stickier the better. Try and manipulate it somehow kneading to and fro, squishing between your fingers, picking it up and  throwing it down, for a good fifteen minutes. Anything to release the gluten!

4. Rub a little olive oil into a bowl and place the dough in it. Pat a little olive oil on top of the dough. This is how much the dough will be initially. Cover with a damp cloth and leave it for one hour (or more depending upon the heat  and draught.) The point is, it should double in size.

This is where you cross your fingers and pray that you have done everything right.

 5. And this is where your prayer gets answered! Look, look! It doubled up, yay! Now the disappointing part. Poke your finger in the dough and deflate it and knead it flat again. Sadly, this must be done to redistribute the air through the dough. Let it sit for 45 more minutes.

Meanwhile make the sauce.

1.  Heat the oil. Add garlic and let them brown.
2. Throw in the chopped tomatoes.
3. Toss in the herbs and red chilli powder
4. Add ketchup.
5. Add salt.
6. Cook for five minutes till tomatoes are soft.
7. Remove the thyme twigs, and puree the sauce. It is ready.

Assemble everything.

1. Your dough will have risen again. Knead it again to make it flat. 
2. Dust your work area with dry flour.
3. Make a small ball of dough and place it in the dusted work area. Push the dough apart with your fingers (greased) till the dough becomes flat and round, with raised edges. 
4. Place the dough in a tray. 
5. Spoon a little sauce on top of the base.
6. Add the toppings. (I used tomatoes, capsicum, mushrooms and onions)
7. Top it off with grated mozarella cheese.
8. Push it on the top rack of your oven or microwave.
9. Grill for ten minutes till the edges turn golden brown.

Yum! This is what you get!

 
Too good to be true, man! Simply amazing! Saee ate them with gusto. Thank God!

Happy Cooking!