Pizza Dough Recipe

Well Valentine's month is coming to a close, so we can stop with all this lovey-dovey nonsense and get back to normal! We thought we'd wrap up this series with one last romantic activity though: making pizza together. This messy activity is bound to get sparks - and flour - flying. So grab some yeast, roll up your sleeves, and bid February farewell with some fabulous food-making.

Our very own dough-maker hard at work!

People often think that making pizza is a nightmare and is something that cannot be successfully achieved at home. Not to do ourselves out of business of course, but at Pizzeria Oregano we're out to prove you wrong and show how easy it is to make pizzeria-standard pizzas in the comfort of your own home.

To make the pizza base, you need just four ingredients:

300f strong bread flour
1 sachet of quick action yeast
1 tsp salt
olive oil

1. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in 200ml of warm water. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and stir together until you have a soft, wet dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured, clean surface and knead for five minutes.
3. Place in a large bowl and covered with some oiled cling film. There is no need to leave it out to rise for a long time. Ten minutes is enough!
4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, around 25cm in diameter. Make sure you get the dough really very thin. Place onto a floured baking tray.
5. Preheat the oven to 240C. Add any topping that you wish to use. Try making pizza bianco - this is pizza without tomato sauce. If tomato sauce is more you thing, just use some supermarket passata.
6. Place the pizza on its baking tray into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp.

Have fun!

Frugality in January

I'm sure everyone has been busy spending all their money, preparing for Christmas, and buying loved ones presents!

In January, it's good to save where you can and cook more frugally. Thankfully, this does not need to mean tasteless meals. Indeed, you can still make fabulous food while using some money-saving ideas. This could mean bulk making dishes to eat over several nights or using dried pulses and beans rather than fresh ones.

Remember vegetarian dishes are often a far cheaper option than expensive meat.

Here are some great ideas from Simplyrecipes.com:

1. Chicken: buy it bone-in, skin on. It’s cheaper. Buy thighs. More flavour and meat for the money. Save the bones, either before cooking or after a meal. Freeze and use later for making chicken stock. Not only is the marrow from bones incredibly good for you, but if you already have the bones, the stock you can make from it is practically free.

2. Mexican food. Corn tortillas and beans are cheap, and combined make a complete protein. The beans are especially economical if you buy them dry and cook them yourself, instead of using them from a can. Add some rice and salsa and you have a filling, nutritious, delicious meal.

3. Eggs. Great source of inexpensive protein. Make hard boiled eggs for sandwiches or scrambled eggs for breakfast.

4. Make stews with cheaper, tougher cuts of meat, like braising steak or pork shoulder. Low and slow braising completely tenderises the meat, and the flavour is amazing.

5. Turkey legs and thighs. Best deal out there. You can braise them or make turkey stew. Or make the most of your turkey leftovers if you still have some!

6. Make your meal go farther with potatoes, rice, pasta, or tortillas.

Keep your eyes peeled for some of our very own frugal recipes in the coming weeks!