Turkish-Style Mushroom Pizza

First we show you how to make a really crispy pizza base (or simply use pita or naan bread), then a really flavourful mushroom topping which is perfect for midweek dinners or weekend pizza parties!

Pizza base

1tsp honey

1tsp (3g) dried yeast

100ml warm water

100g Plain flour

100g Wholewheat flour

1tsp salt

1tbsp olive oil

Topping

2tbsp olive oil

250g mixed chopped mushrooms

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

3 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp ground allspice

3 tomatoes, finely chopped

2tbsp pine nuts

1tbsp chopped mint

Method

Making the base:

1. Dissolve the honey and yeast in the warm water.

2. Put both types of flour into a mixing machine with the olive oil and salt, water.
Add the yeast mixture and mix together for 2-3 minutes using the dough hook. You may need to stop the machine if it’s a large bowl and scrape the
sides to make sure all the ingredients are mixed.

3. If mixing by hand, mix together to form a smooth dough, and knead for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl, cover with cling film and leave the dough somewhere warm, to rise for about an hour. The mixture should double in volume.
While the dough is rising prepare the topping.

Topping
1. Season and fry the mushrooms and onion in the olive oil, on a medium heat. Add the garlic, cinnamon and allspice and cook for for 3-4 minutes until lightly coloured and stir every so often. Cook out till the mushrooms turn to a nut brown colour. Remove the mushrooms to allow them to cool and finely chop them.

2. Add the cloves of chopped garlic to the same pan and lightly cook. Add the tomatoes to the same pan and turn down the heat. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes and stir every so often.

3. Put the chopped mushrooms back into the mixture, which now should be fairly dry, if not leave it on the heat for another minute or so. Add the pine nuts and mint and leave to cool.

4. Transfer the dough on to a lightly floured surface, and with the heel of your hands knock the air out of the dough so it returns to its original size.

5. Divide the mixture into 12 pieces and shape them with your thumb and fingers into little rounds.

6. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC. Roll out the pieces to circles about 8-10 cm and put them on to lightly oiled baking trays.

7. Spoon the mixture on thinly in the centre, leaving about 1cm boarder around the edge. Cook for 6-7 minutes and eat immediately.

What’s your favourite pizza?