There is something deeply satisfying about making your own pizza base. It takes under two hours start to finish, most of which is waiting for the dough to prove, and the result is incomparably better than anything that comes out of a packet. This basic pizza base recipe uses a handful of ingredients — flour, yeast, salt, honey, and olive oil — and makes one perfect 10-inch base.

The base before the toppings — basic pizza base recipe. The Flexible Chef.

A note on flour: buy it from somewhere with a high turnover. Fresh flour makes a difference, and a local baker or good deli will usually have better stock than a supermarket shelf that hasn't moved since last month.

Makes: 1 x 10-inch pizza base

You'll need: a pizza stone or pizza tray

Ingredients

90g strong white flour

½ tsp dried yeast

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp honey

1 tsp olive oil

60ml tepid water, plus a little more if needed

Polenta for dusting

How to Make a Basic Pizza Base Recipe

1. Sift the flour, yeast, and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the olive oil, honey, and tepid water. Mix with a wooden spoon or clean hands until a dough forms, adding a little more water if necessary.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for several minutes until the dough is stretchy and elastic.
3. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with lightly oiled cling film, and leave for around an hour until doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 230°C / Gas 8 with your pizza stone or tray inside.
5. Dust the work surface with polenta to prevent sticking. Knock the air out of the dough and knead briefly for 30 seconds, shaping into a ball.
6. Dust a rolling pin with flour and polenta and roll the dough out into a roughly 10-inch circle. Use your fingers to stretch it from the middle outwards — it doesn't need to be perfect, but the edges should be slightly raised.
7. Add your toppings of choice, then carefully slide the pizza onto the hot stone or tray. Bake on a high shelf for 10–15 minutes until the crust is golden and the edges are starting to char.

Once you've mastered this basic pizza base recipe, the toppings are entirely your own business.

This recipe is part of the Bread Hub — The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection — every bread recipe from Casa Adora and the road. Explore the full collection.

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