Three delicious variations for skillet pizza – Puttanesca, blue cheese and pancetta and goat's cheese and salmon. The toppings are for single servings of individual pizzas - adjust if making larger pies.
500g| 1lb 2oz strong white bread flourplus more to dust
360ml| 12fl oz tepid wateryou might need less - see below
3tbspolive oil
1tbsphoney or sugar
2tspdried yeast
1/2tspsalt
cornmeal or semolina to dust the skillet with
For the Puttanesca pizzasingle serving
2-3tbsppassata or homemade tomato sauce
2-4anchovy filletsleave out for a vegetarian version
4-5mini mozzarella ballsdried with kitchen towel
cherry tomatoes on the vine or handful sliced cherry tomatoes
handful pitted green and black pitted olivessliced
sprinkling dried oregano
fresh basil leaves
olive oil to drizzle
salt and freshly ground pepper to season
For the blue cheese and pancetta pizzasingle serving
3tbspcaramelised onion chutney
4-5tbspcrumbled blue cheese such as Gorgonzolla
3-4strips pancetta
handfull pine nuts
fresh rocketarugula, optional
For the goat's cheese and salmon pizzasingle serving
4-5tbspgoat's cheesecrumbled or a mix of feta and goat's cheese
4-5strips smoked salmonor to taste
2tspfinely chopped red onion
handful mini capers
sprinkling of finely chopped fresh chives
olive oil to drizzle
salt and freshly ground pepper to season
Instructions
Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix together.
In a separate bowl or measuring jug, dissolve the yeast in the water then stir in the honey or sugar and olive oil.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the flour and mix together with a wooden spoon. You might not need to use all the water or you might need to add a touch more flour. The dough should be fairly tight – not too wet.
Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a ball.
Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and roll around so that the oil coats the dough. Cover with a plastic bag and leave to rise for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until doubled.
When you are ready to make the pizzas, have your toppings ready by the side of the stove. Cut your dough into 6 small sections and roll one out to around 20cm/8inch (about the size of your skillet). Keep any dough you are not using covered.
Preheat the oven as hot as it will go and set the shelf in the middle.
Turn the stove on medium and heat the skillet. Sprinkle with a little semolina and then place the dough on the hot skillet stretching it with your fingers so that it fills the surface of the pan (beware though the skillet and its handle will be hot).
Drizzle with a little olive oil and once the dough starts to bubble in the middle and crisp up at the edges, add your toppings.
For the Puttanesca pizza: spread the passata or tomato sauce over the base of the pizza, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with oregano. Add the anchovies, mozzarella and olives and top with the tomatoes on the vine. Drizzle with a little olive oil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Add a few fresh basil leaves and serve.
For the blue cheese and pancetta pizza: spread the onion chutney over the base of the pizza and top with the crumbled blue cheese. Add the pancetta and and transfer to the oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and pancetta is crisp. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and add a handful of fresh rocket (arugula) just before serving if you like.
For the goat's cheese and salmon pizza: drizzle a little olive oil over the base of the pizza, add the goat's cheese and top with the salmon strips. Sprinkle with the onion and capers and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season and transfer to the oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.
Notes
• Make the dough in a stand mixer: add the dry ingredients and mix together briefly. Add the wet ingredients and knead with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes, then proceed with step 5.• Make the dough in a bread machine: check your machine can handle the quantity of flour first. Add the water, oil, sugar or honey, flour, salt and finally yeast (make sure it is yeast suitable for bread makers). Use the dough or pizza setting and then proceed with step 6.