Easy No Knead Pizza

Ingredients

For 1 pizza base, about 28cm across:

• 1 cup body-temperature water
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups (275g) high-grade white flour
• About 1/4 cup extra flour for coating

Toppings - use some or all of the following:

• Olive oil
• Chopped tomatoes, seeds removed
• Chopped canned anchovies, optional
• Finely sliced small red onion, optional
• Chopped bacon or ham, optional
• about 1 cup of grated cheese
• Sliced, pitted black olives, optional
• Dried oregano, optional

Method

Turn the oven on to 250?C, with a rack above the middle of the oven, and a flat metal baking tray on it. (If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven instead of the metal tray.)

Measure the warm water into a fairly large bowl, and sprinkle in the yeast, oil, salt and sugar. Mix well until everything is evenly dispersed, then add the first measure of flour (spooning the flour lightly into the cup). Mix this to a soft dough with a wooden spoon or stirrer. The mixture should be soft and slightly sticky. Sprinkle a little of the extra flour over the yeast mixture in the bowl, and form it into a ball. Leave it to stand while you find and prepare your choice of topping ingredients.  The dough will start to rise while you do this.

Place a large square of baking paper, or a large non-stick liner, on another flat metal baking tray. 

Assemble your choice of pizza toppings. The oil, tomatoes and cheese are usually regarded as essential. The others are optional.

Now work on the pizza crust. The dough should have risen slightly. Sprinkle some of the second measure of flour over the soft pizza dough. Use the stirrer to lift the floured dough away from the sides and bottom of the bowl, and turn it onto the centre of the baking paper or the non-stick liner.

With floury hands, first shape the floured dough into a ball, then, using your fingers and hands, pat the ball of dough out into a circle 30cm across, on the baking paper (or non-stick liner).

Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and spread it fairly evenly with your fingers. Leaving the outer 2cm of the dough uncovered, sprinkle the chopped tomato over the pizza. Add pieces of anchovy if desired. Finely chop some red onion, coat it with a little extra oil and spread it on the pizza too. Add the chopped bacon or ham, then sprinkle the grated cheese over everything else. Place the sliced black olives on the cheese. Add the oregano or other herbs if you like. Fold the edges of the pizza in to make a 1cm rim. Drizzle a little more oil over the topping ingredients.

Turn the oven down to 225?C. Open the oven door and carefully slide the pizza, on its baking paper or liner, onto the heated pizza stone or the heated metal tray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the rim of the pizza is golden brown, then take it from the oven and slide the pizza off the baking paper or liner onto a cooling rack.

Cut into pieces with a knife, rotating cutter or kitchen scissors and eat while warm. Enjoy!