Dubliner® Cheese½ cup mozzarella, gratedTorn basil leavesBlack olivesRed onion, thinly slicedYellow bell pepper, thinly sliced1 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, dry active yeast, and the granulated sugar. Use a whisk to mix, and begin dissolving the yeast. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
Add the olive oil, all purpose flour, and kosher salt to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon, or a Danish dough whisk to mix until a shaggy dough forms, and there are no dry patches of flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter at room temperature.
With clean, damp hands, reach into the bowl and gently lift one side of the dough up, stretching it as far as it will go without tearing. Fold the side of dough over the ball, and work your way around the dough, lifting up, stretching, and folding the dough back over itself. Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel, and let rest for another 15 minutes.
Stretch and fold the dough once more, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place at room temperature for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Meanwhile make the pizza: in a small mixing bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, kosher salt, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Stir to combine, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a rectangular 9×13 inch baking pan, making sure to coat the sides of the pan.
Pour the risen dough out into the prepared baking pan, lightly oil your hands, and use them to stretch the dough out into the corners of the pan until it covers the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest for another 40-45 minutes while the oven preheats.
After the second rise, make sure the dough is evenly stretched to the corners of the baking pan. Spoon 1 ½ cups of the sauce over the top of the dough. Use your fingertips to dimple the sauce down into the dough. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a bit messy.
Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven, and spoon on the remaining ½ cup of sauce, and layer on all of the toppings. Bake for another 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
Use a spatula to remove the pizza from the pan. Top the pan pizza with torn basil leaves, and serve immediately. Kitchen shears are useful for slicing up the pizza.
Nothing beats the flavour of homemade Christmas pudding, but it’s important to get good-quality fruit and it’s best made at least 1 month in advance.
I love plum pudding, hot or cold, with lashings of cream, but the spiked almond custard is even more special. I always look forward to it. A big thank you to Auntie Maureen for this recipe.
Ingredients
50g (2oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
225g (8oz) sultanas
175g (6oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
175g (6oz) light brown sugar
175g (6oz) raisins
50g (2oz) currants
50g (2oz) candied mixed peel
50g (2oz) blanched almonds, hopped
1/2 eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 small carrot, grated finely grated rind and juice of
1 lemon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
300ml (1/2 pint) stout
fresh redcurrant sprigs, to decorate (optional)
icing sugar, to decorate (optional)
spiked almond custard, to serve
Method
Sift together the flour, mixed spice, cloves and nutmeg. Add the sultanas, melted butter, breadcrumbs, sugar, raisins, currants, mixed peel, almonds, apple, carrot and the lemon rind and juice and mix until well combined. Gradually add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly, followed by the stout. Mix everything together thoroughly and cover with a clean tea towel, then leave in a cool place overnight.
Use the fruit mixture to fill 2 x 1.2 litre (2 pint) greased pudding bowls. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and tin foil, then tie tightly under the rim with string. Store in a cool, dry place overnight.
To cook, preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/gas mark 2).
Stand each pudding basin in a large cake tin three-quarters full of boiling water, then cook in the oven for 6–8 hours (or you can steam them for 6 hours in the usual way). Cool and re-cover with clean greaseproof paper. Again, store in a cool, dry place.
On Christmas Day, re-cover with greaseproof paper and foil. Steam for 2–3 hours, until completely cooked through and tender. Decorate with the redcurrant sprigs and a light dusting of icing sugar, if liked.
To serve, cut the plum pudding into slices and arrange on serving plates. Have a separate jug of the spiked almond custard so that everyone can help themselves.
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