This recipe comes from my book, National Trust Simply Baking. British rocket is just coming into season, so this recipe is perfect for now.
Traditionally, pizza is cooked in wood oven, so you need to heat your domestic oven to its maximum temperature. I preheat a heavy baking sheet, but you could use a pizza stone. You can prepare all the ingredients in advance.
Serves 2
˝ pizza dough recipe (see recipe index)
125g/4 ˝oz buffalo mozzarella
2 medium onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for sprinkling
Place a heavy baking sheet or pizza stone, place in the middle of your cold oven. Preheat the oven to fan 230°C/gas 9.
Drain and pat dry the mozzarella. Slice and place in a sieve over a bowl to release some of the excess moisture. This stops the pizza from becoming soggy. Lightly cover with clingfilm and chill.
Set a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, followed by the sliced onion. Fry gently for 10 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Season to taste and set aside, covered.
Rinse the capers, pat dry and place in a bowl with the olives. Mix in the parsley. Cover and chill until needed.
When you’re ready to cook peel off the clingfilm from the first dough ball. Knead for 2 minutes, then using the palm of your hand, press out and flatten into a thin, round circle. You can use a small rolling pin (if you`re not Italian) to make it really thin, but press your knuckles just inside the edge to create a raised edge.
Slip the first one on to an oiled non-stick 20cm/8in cake tin base. Scatter half the slices of mozzarella over the pizza, scatter with half the Parmesan and then, using the cake base as a pizza shovel, transfer to the hot baking sheet in the oven, leaving space for the second pizza. Working quickly, re-oil the cake base and repeat the process to make a second pizza. If you want everything to cook at the same time, keep each pizza on its cake base and put them in the oven at the same time.
Bake both for 12 minutes or until the dough is crisp and the mozzarella melted and flecked gold-brown. Remove and top with the wild rocket. Serve immediately.
