Basic Bread/Pizza Dough

BASIC BREAD/PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE
This mixture makes 2 small loaves or one big schiacciata. It also makes 2 big pizzas. When I'm making bread or schiacciata I tend to mix strong white bread flour and wholemeals flours together. I stick to unadulterated strong white bread flour for pizza.

700g flour (for bread 500g white and 200g wholemeal)
pinch of good salt (I like the salt flakes)
2 sachets of easyblend yeast
3 generous tablespoons of olive oil
220ml cold water
220ml boiling water


Mix the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the middle and add the oil. Mix together the boiling and cold water and add to the mixture. Mix it with a hand mixer with dough hook attachments if you have it. Then pummel it by hand until it feels stretchy.


Bread -If you're making bread, line 2 one-pound bread tins with baking parchment and put half the dough in each tin. I put them on the gas stove to rise - this works very well. When the loaves have risen well above the top of the loaf tins, put them in a hot oven (about 240 degrees c.) for 30 minutes. Turn them out on a rack to cool.

Schiacciata - If you're making schiacciata, line a roasting tin with baking parchment, roll out the dough to fit the tin and put it in. Leave it to rise. Then poke it all over with your finger. Pour a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, salt flakes, chopped thyme and finely chopped garlic over it - if there isn't enough mixture to go in all the finger holes, top up with olive oil..... (you can never have enough olive oil). Bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. Take it out carefully and cool it on a rack.

Pizza - If you're making pizza, leave the mixed dough in the bowl to rise. Then knock it down and divide it in half. Take 2 baking sheets and put baking parchment on them. Next roll out dough - lay each half on its baking sheet. Turn over the edges to make a pleasing shape and to make it fit on the baking sheet. Spread each pizza sparingly with a tomato sauce (see below) and add topping and cheese of your choice. Drizzle the top with olive oil and put on the top shelf of a hot oven for about 12 - 15 minutes.


Tomato Sauce - 2 tins of tomatoes, olive oil, squashed garlic clove, salt and teaspoon of dried oregano. Bring this to the boil then let it simmer until it reduces and becomes a sauce. If you like, you can squoosh it with a potato masher (and remove the garlic clove).