- Makes 2 large pizzas - Ready in 2 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes (depending on rise time) -
If you like the idea of a 'Full English' but feel uncomfortably sluggish afterwards, then you'll adore this lighter take on a classic.
***I'd really suggest investing in two of these Eco Living reusable silicone baking sheets if you make homemade pizza regularly, they make the process SO much easier***
Gather together for two large pizza bases…
275 ml warm water (NOT hot water or you will kill the yeast).
1 tsp sugar.
1.5 tsp (7g) baking yeast.
1 tbsp olive oil / rapeseed oil.
325g strong white flour ('strong' flour is made from wheat varieties that are naturally high in gluten, so it makes stretchy dough).
75g strong wholemeal flour (if you don't have any strong wholemeal flour, then just add more of the strong white flour - but the dough tastes a lot nicer with the wholemeal flour included - don't add too much wholemeal flour though or the pizzas taste too 'healthy').
1 tsp salt.
Up to 10 tbsp plain flour (to dust with).
Plus, 2 tsp of oil to brush onto pizza bases (1 tsp per base), before adding toppings.
For the topping (prepare these toppings in the microwave, just before assembling)...
1 tin (420g) baked beans (contents removed from tin and heated in microwave for 5 min).
4 tbsp ketchup.
4 mushrooms / 8 baby mushrooms (thinly sliced and microwaved for 2 minutes then drained).
2 medium tomatoes / 8 cherry tomatoes (thinly sliced and microwaved for 1 min then drained).
50g (1/2 a pack) of prosciutto ham (chopped into 1cm wide lengths) /50g vegetarian 'bacon'.
2 raw eggs (one for the centre of each pizza).
Serve with...
Ketchup.
Brown sauce.
Get cooking…
1. In a jug, mix the 275ml of WARM water, the 1 tsp of sugar, the 7g of yeast and the 1 tbsp of oil. Mix and allow the yeast to warm through and activate for 5 minutes.
2. Into a medium-large bowl (preferably the bowl of a food mixer with dough-hook attachment, if you have one) measure the flours (325g strong white and 75g wholemeal).
3. Add the 1tsp of salt to the flours. DON'T FORGET the salt! Mix well.
4. Once the yeast has had its activation time, pour the watery yeast into the flour mixture, and stir with an oiled spoon until the flour is just combined.
5 (a). Either, clear a space on your worksurface, clean and dry it and dust the surface with 2 tbsp plain flour (I usually use plain flour for dusting, regardless of whatever flour I've been using in a recipe). Tip the dough out onto the prepared worksurface. Clean and lightly oil your hands (remove any rings from fingers) and knead the dough (squash and stretch and squeeze it) for 2 minutes - just until the dough is smooth. Put the dough back into the bowl to rise.
5 (b). Or, knead the dough in a food mixer with a dough hook attachment for 2 minutes.
6. Cover the bowl containing the dough with a wet tea towel (don't let the tea towel touch the dough or it will get messy) and leave the covered dough to rise for 2 - 4 hours in a warm place (depending on when you want to use it). The longer you leave it the 'puffier' your pizzas will be. So if you want thin and crispy, bake sooner rather than later. The pizzas in my photos were baked after a rise time of 2 hours.
7. Once you are nearly ready to bake, fetch two large baking trays and measure out two rectangles of baking paper (one for each). OR invest in two of these Eco Living reusable silicone baking sheets if you make pizzas regularly ****these silicone sheets have revolutionised pizza making for me as I can roll out the dough easily on them, they are robust enough to transport the topped pizzas to the oven on without needing an extra board under and they air the pizza once cooked as they have tiny holes in***. Then take the baking paper / silicone sheets OFF the trays, dust the paper / silicone with 1 tbsp plain flour each and set these liners aside.
8. Now turn the oven to 250 C (230 C fan) or Gas 9 and put the two large baking trays (unlined at this stage) into the oven to get REALLY hot.
9. Dust the risen dough with 2 tbsp plain flour and divide the risen dough into two equal portions - this will flatten it rather a lot, which is fine. Dust the top of each dough portion with 1 tbsp each more of plain flour.
10. On the floured greaseproof paper you have just measured (or better still on one of the floured silicone mats you have invested in) roll out the dough portions one at a time (adding more flour as needed, as the dough will still be sticky in places). Use your fingers and palms to stretch and squash the dough and then use a floured rolling pin to finish off the shaping - aim for a large roughly-rectangular, thinly rolled shape. You can leave the very edge of the crust slightly thicker if you want to, to help keep the toppings on the pizza.
11. Roll out the remaining dough on the second pre-cut greaseproof paper rectangle / silicone mat.
12. Brush the two bases lightly with oil (1 tsp per base), this stops the toppings making the bases soggy.
13. Cover the slightly-oiled bases with the warmed beans (stir them so there is an equal amount of sauce and beans on each base - if you don't stir them then one base would get most of the sauce and could end up soggy), spreading right to the edge. Then squirt about 2 tbsp of ketchup over each base and swirl into the beans with the back of a spoon. Next sprinkle on the warmed and drained mushroom slices, the warmed and drained tomato slices and (if using) the vegetarian bacon pieces. If you are using prosciutto ham then you don't add it until later as it is so thin it would burn, the same goes for the eggs - they will be added later.
14. (a) Either, remove the VERY HOT pre-heated trays from the oven (only briefly) and slide the silicone mats and pizzas effortlessly onto a tray each, before quickly putting the trays back into the oven.
14. (b) Or, faff around balancing the greaseproof paper squares on wooden chopping boards then try to slide them onto the VERY HOT oven trays without burning yourself and without letting the pizzas fold up / drop off - good luck! This is why I invested in the silicone mats!
15. Still at the highest temperature setting, bake the pizzas in the centre / top of the oven for 10 minutes.
16. At exactly 10 minutes, remove BOTH pizzas from the oven and quickly shut the oven door (but leave the oven on).
17. Use the back of a spoon to gently push the toppings away from the centre of each pizza, to make a space for the uncooked egg to sit in. Try and scrape the top layer of dough out of the way as well as the toppings, so the egg will be contained in a slight dip. Crack an egg into the centre of each pizza. If you are using sliced prosciutto, now is the time to scatter it on too.
18. Return the pizzas to the hot oven for 3 - 6 minutes, until the eggs are only just solid - the egg whites should wibble still. Check them every 3 minutes. DON'T overbake the eggs or else you won't be able to enjoy runny egg yolk.
19. Once cooked, STRAIGHT AWAY transfer the pizzas onto a wire rack each to allow air to circulate under them, so they won't go soggy. If you have used the silicone mats, then just put the pizza and mat on the wire rack (as the mat has tiny holes in). If you have used greaseproof paper then attempt to remove the boiling hot pizzas off the paper before putting them on the wire rack - be careful not to burn yourself. You'll be wishing for those silicone mats now...
18. Serve the pizzas whilst hot - cut them up with scissors so they fit on a plate - or serving them on a big platter each. You can re-use the rectangular baking papers a few times, so don't throw them away.
19. Enjoy!
This 'breakfast' pizza is inspired by one on the menu in the Sambuca 1 restaurant .