Pizza, is usually thought of as junk food these days but if you think back in time to when pizza was first made, it was actually pretty healthy. A slab of bread with lots of tasty vegetables on top and a wee bit of cheese – less of the mountains of mozzarella and greasy slick of oil across a thick stodgy base! We’ve gone back to basics here for a gluten free pizza that really does work. It’s very quick to make with rising time not really required. Perfect for a summer picnic!
400 g gluten free self raising flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried yeast
2 tblsp olive oil
220 ml warm water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed and chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tin of chopped or plum tomatoes
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp olive oil
2 peppers, sliced
1 small courgette, sliced
dried or fresh oregano
10 black olives, halved and stones removed
fresh basil leaves
1. Begin by making the sauce. In a frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onion, garlic, chilli and cumin for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, as well as the balsamic vinegar. Cook on a low heat until the sauce has thickened (between 10 and 20 minutes).
2. Whilst the sauce cooks, make the dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oil, yeast, salt and water to make a dough – stir it together and then use your hands to press it together finally. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and roll the dough out on to the parchment with a rolling pin.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°c. Top the dough with the sauce and the vegetables and herbs, leaving out the fresh basil leaves. Cook for around 30 minutes until the base is cooked underneath and the vegetables are cooked. Top with fresh basil and serve hot!
