A pizza cake!

Pardon the bad pun, but this tip will make handling homemade pizzas a piece of cake.

I have always found that getting a home-made pizza into a hot oven and onto a hot pizza stone is a bit of a struggle.

Simply get yourself a box of baking parchment, also known as silicone paper. Cut a piece a few inches larger than your proposed pizza, and simply roll the dough out on top of the paper. When you have finished adding the toppings, simply slide the entire thing, paper and all, onto your pizza stone or baking sheet. Lifting it out is also a doddle.

Pizza dough.
(This will make enough dough for two pizzas. If you only want one, freeze half for next time...)

12oz strong bread flour
7.5fl oz tepid water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon easy blend dried yeast.

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together well.

Add the olive oil to the water, then pour half into a well in the centre of the flour.Stir to incorporate, adding more liquid until the mixture coheres. (You may need to add more liquid, depending on your flour, but try not to get it over wet and sticky.)

Knead to a ball in the bowl, then drop it onto a clean worktop. Knead by stretching the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, then gather back in, turn by a quarter and repeat. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is elastic, and bounces back when pressed.

Cover the dough with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size, probably an hour or so.

When nearly doubled, put oven on to pre-heat at gas 8, 230C.

When doubled in size, knead gently for a minute to flatten the dough.

Cut in half, and roll each piece out into a circle about 10 or 12 inches across. Do this directly onto the baking parchment.

All that remains then is to spread the dough with a smear of good quality tomato puree or well-reduced homemade tomato sauce, then add your favourite toppings. Yesterday's was halved cherry tomatoes, chorizo sausage and mozzarella.

Slide your pizza onto a baking stone or oven tray, and bake towards the top of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Lovely.

P.S. The idea for the parchment paper came from a most excellent book by Tom Norrington-Davies, Cupboard Love. It's full of good ideas, and realistic suggestions for after-work cooking.