At last summer is here. The days are bright and long, the sun is shining and its time to dig up fresh, delicious, simple yet healthy meal recipe ideas for you and your kids. Pizza is undoubtedly a crowd-pleasing meal but did you know that it is incredibly easy to make at home yourself? You can also get children involved in meal preparation by asking them to wash vegetables and sort chopped up ingredients into bowls. This increases their interest and knowledge in food and might just entice them to try new vegetables. So let’s find out how to make pizza with your kids.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO START
500g strong plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 x 7g sachet of dried yeast
320ml lukewarm water
TOPPING
60g Swiss Gruyere, grated
4 tablespoons mild sundried tomato paste
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
125g halloumi block, sliced
3 Cumberland sausages, sliced (optional)
8 red and yellow sweet baby peppers
4-6 chestnut mushrooms
MAKES 2 LARGE PIZZAS
HOW TO MAKE PIZZA
Ask your children to measure out the dry ingredients.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. I used my KitchenAid with the dough hook but you could easily do this by hand. Add water and mix well until you get a soft dough. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Remove from the bowl and on a lightly floured surface, knead for 10 minutes. Cut into half, re-shape into balls. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place. This can take between 30 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, ask children to source their favourite toppings, slice and divide them into bowls. You can either use the toppings listed above or get creative.
When the dough is ready, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into pizza circles or rectangles taking care not to over-stretch the dough. You can sprinkle two baking trays with bread crumbs or semolina and place the pizza bases on them.
Spread the tomato paste evenly across both pizza bases. Now add the Gruyere or another strong tasting cheese of your choice.
TIP – when you choose a mature or strong tasting cheese, you will only need a small amount as it will be packed full of flavour, saving you calories and salt!
Your children can top the pizzas with the remaining toppings. Next bake in a hot oven at 200 degrees celcius for 10-12 minutes. Serve with a simple green salad. Delicious. Now you know how to make pizza with your kids.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
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