Last weekend, we did what any sensible people would do when the sun makes an unexpected appearance in Britain: fled the city and headed for the countryside. My dad’s place – all leafy hedgerows, quiet lanes and dogs underfoot – was a welcome reprieve from our usual postcode. And, crucially, it has a pizza oven. A lockdown purchase he absolutely didn’t need and now, he claims, couldn’t live without. The kind that demands both dedication and semolina.
That afternoon, with the dough already proving and the wine chilling in the fridge, we headed out for a long walk. By the time we got back, we were hungry enough to forgo finesse – not that finesse was ever our strong suit. My dad learnt the hard way during his first attempts that semolina is essential if you don’t want to drop an entire pizza face-down on the floor. I should know. I was there, holding the wine and trying not to laugh.
Armed with that lesson (and some very long tongs), we each made our own and felt, briefly, like pizzaiolos – if pizzaiolos wore Birkenstocks and bickered over toppings.
Back home, the challenge was how to recreate it – minus the garden, the £1,000 gadget and the romantic notion that anyone in a one-bed flat has room for yet another kitchen accessory. The good news? You don’t need any of that. Just a hot oven, a solid baking tray and a dough that behaves.
This week’s Sunday Club is your guide to making genuinely excellent pizza at home. There’s a dough recipe with or without a mixer, a tomato sauce you can blitz raw or simmer into something richer and tips on hacking your oven into something that vaguely resembles Naples – or at least St John’s Wood with ambition.
Then there are the toppings. One built around courgettes, lemon and a little chilli heat – bright, seasonal and entirely meat-free. One for sweet-salty fans: ripe peaches and prosciutto, finished with burrata because, yes, we know. Burrata is everywhere – a creamy shortcut to sophistication, plonked on everything from beetroot to burnt leeks. But here, it earns its keep: a cool, rich contrast to caramelised fruit and salty ham. And, of course, “Dad’s Napoli”: anchovies, olives and capers, the one he always makes and the one I now always want.
Quantities are suggestions, not gospel – want more anchovies? Whack ’em on. Hate capers? Skip ’em. This is pizza, not precision engineering.
If you’re new to Sunday Club, this is our weekly series about the kind of cooking that makes a weekend feel like one. So far, we’ve done crispy duck legs with dauphinoise and cherries, a lemony primavera lasagne and a whole roast trout with herby potatoes and horseradish creme fraiche. (PS: if you subscribe to the IndyEats newsletter, you’ll get the recipe a day early – straight to your inbox every Saturday morning.)
This week: pizza. No pizza oven required – though if you ever get one, semolina is, frankly, non-negotiable.
Pizza dough (with or without a mixer)
Makes: 3 medium pizzas (feeds 2-3 people generously, or 4 with sides)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Proving time: 1½ to 2½ hours total (including final 30-minute rest)
Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp sugar
1 sachet (7g) fast-action dried yeast
325ml lukewarm water
1 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for kneading/resting)
Method (if you’re using a stand mixer):
- Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add the water and olive oil, and mix on low until the mixture comes together. Increase the speed to medium and knead for about 7-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Oil a clean bowl, pop the dough in, cover with a damp tea towel or clingfilm and leave to rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Method (if you’re making it by hand):
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
- Make a well, pour in the water and olive oil and bring it all together with your hands or a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
- Tip onto a floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and springs back when poked.
- Oil a clean bowl, transfer the dough, cover and leave to rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
When you’re ready to cook:
- Once the dough has risen, knock it back (gently deflate it), then divide into 3 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball.
- Let the balls rest on a lightly floured tray under a tea towel for 30 minutes. This makes them easier to stretch.
- Preheat your oven as high as it will go (220-250C fan if possible), and place a large baking tray or pizza stone (if you have one) inside to preheat for at least 30 minutes – you want it screaming hot before the pizza goes in.
- Stretch each ball into a round – use your hands or a floured rolling pin, about 10-12 inches wide.
- Get ready to add your toppings.
Freezing your dough:
If you don’t want to use all the dough at once, you can freeze it after the first rise. Once you’ve knocked it back and divided it into balls, wrap each one tightly in clingfilm, then pop into a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature and let rest for 30 minutes before shaping and baking.
How to get a crispy-bottomed pizza without a pizza stone
A pizza stone is brilliant for home pizza – it gets screaming hot, mimics a brick oven floor and helps deliver that crisp, golden base. But you absolutely don’t need one. A large, heavy baking tray (ideally turned upside down) works just as well. Here’s how:
- Preheat the tray (or stone) for at least 30 minutes at your oven’s highest setting – 220-250C fan if it goes that high. You want it to be really hot so the dough starts cooking the second it hits the surface.
- Shape your pizza on a sheet of baking paper. This avoids any faff with sticking and makes it easy to transfer – no fancy pizza shovel required.
- To transfer it to the oven, slide the pizza (still on the paper) onto the hot tray or stone using a flat baking sheet, chopping board or the underside of another tray. Just shimmy it on with confidence.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden, and the base is crisp underneath.
If you’re doing multiple pizzas, take the hot tray out between rounds, reheat it for a few minutes and repeat. The key is keeping the surface hot and moving quickly. No one needs a pizza peel – just a little nerve and a bit of practice.
Positioning matters:
Place your hot tray or stone on the top shelf of the oven for the best results – it brings the pizza closer to the heating element, which helps blister the crust and melt cheese faster while the base crisps underneath. If your oven runs hot at the top, try the middle rack instead. You want golden edges and a crispy bottom, not a blackened one.
Quick (or slow) tomato sauce for pizza
Makes: enough for 3 pizzas
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time (optional): 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
1 x 400g tin of good-quality plum tomatoes (San Marzano if you can get them; Mutti is a reliable brand)
Pinch of sugar (optional, if your tomatoes are sharp)
Salt and black pepper
Optional: a few basil leaves or a pinch of dried oregano
Method:
- Raw version: crush the tomatoes by hand or blitz briefly in a blender. Stir in the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if needed. Add basil or oregano if you like. Let it sit while you prep your dough and toppings.
- Cooked version (for deeper flavour): heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute (don’t let it brown). Add the tomatoes, season and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or as long as you like, until slightly thickened. Cool before using.
Toppings
Dad’s Napoli
Serves: 1
Prep time: 5-10 minutes | Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp tomato sauce (see recipe above)
Anchovy fillets (as many as you like; we do at least one per slice)
A few black olives, halved
1 tsp capers
Torn mozzarella pieces (optional, but balances the salt)
Pinch dried oregano
Optional: fresh parsley or basil to finish
Method:
- Spread the tomato sauce over the base.
- Arrange the anchovies, olives and capers as desired. Add mozzarella if using.
- Sprinkle with oregano and bake for 8-10 minutes or until bubbling and crisp.
- Finish with herbs and make sure Dad’s got a drink.
Peach, prosciutto and burrata
Serves: 1
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Note: burrata is added after baking
Ingredients:
1 small ripe peach, thinly sliced
Few slices of prosciutto
Olive oil
Thyme leaves or torn basil
Burrata (or a few blobs of good-quality mozzarella)
Black pepper
Optional: chilli flakes or honey
Method:
- Brush the base with a little olive oil and arrange the peach slices.
- Add prosciutto in ribbons and sprinkle with thyme.
- Bake until the peaches start to char slightly.
- Once out of the oven, tear over the burrata, crack on some black pepper and finish with herbs, chilli or honey if you like.
Courgette, chilli and lemon pizza
Serves: 1
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp tomato sauce (see recipe above)
1 small courgette, very thinly sliced into rounds
1 red chilli, finely sliced (or to taste)
Zest of ½ lemon
Torn mozzarella pieces
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Optional: chilli honey or lemon oil, to finish
Method:
- Spread the tomato sauce evenly over your stretched pizza base.
- Scatter the mozzarella, followed by the courgette slices and chilli.
- Season with salt, pepper and the lemon zest.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake until golden and bubbling – around 8-10 minutes.
- Finish with more oil or a touch of chilli honey if you like things punchy.
