Homemade Pizza from the Scratch

We live in Africa and if I may so the options for pizza delivery really don’t live up to expectations. I remember pizza back in Canada so delicious that simply looking at it would make the mouth water and the nose explode with delicious smells.

I took this as an element of my environment and bought pizza bases for a long time simply topping them with the freshest of the fresh. After a while these bases got tired and I craved for more. The best pizza I had in Namibia, surprisingly enough, was in Rundu at an unremembered location.

With the help of my girlfriend I decided to go from scratch. Make the base, pour the sauce, delight with toppings and bake. I was new to making dough so here’s how it goes.

Mix about 2 cups flour with a spoonful of butter and slowly add about three quarters of a cup of luke warm water. I was advised not to add yeast against all known fact. I like to add herbs and salt to this mixture. You need to really kneed the dough for some time. This is a very messy process and so you really need to be into it! Once it has formed into a ball of dough, let it sit for at least 10 minutes to expand. Now spread that dough throughout on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Not a bad idea to lightly grease the pan as well.

Here’s the difference, we then put together a mixture of olive oil, crushed garlic, and herbs and spread over the top of the pizza base. Then pierce the dough with a fork repeatedly throughout so the oil can penetrate into the dough.

Hopefully you have already determined what toppings you will add to the pizza. If not, open the fridge and see what is fresh and ready. I like a mixture of onions, mushrooms, fresh peppers, salami and tomatoes. First, add a layer of sauce and cheese prior to the toppings. I use crushed tomatoes from the can but homemade sauce is welcome. (Just waiting to get a chance to use the homemade garlic sauce here; recipe coming) Add the sauce over the existing layer of olive oil and garlic and then a light layer of cheese. Then top it!

I usually use about 3/4 of the cheese before the toppings and sprinkle the rest on top. Once the pizza is set add some chili flakes and fresh crushed pepper.

Bake her for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees and she should come out perfectly. Leave it a few minutes before attempting to cut.

Pizza from my kitchen is the new favorite in Windhoek!!!