By Adam Liaw
I think most of us have our idea of the perfect pizza. Some of us love thin, wafer-like crusts and others thick, cakey versions. Some of us are happy for anything delivered within 20 minutes while others turn their noses up at anything that isn't cooked in Napoli and eaten with a view of the Teatro di San Carlo. And what do you think about pineapple? Let's not open that can of worms.
Neapolitan-style, Roman, New York or Chicago, there are hundreds of different kinds of pizzas and I'll bet if I asked you right now about the best pizza you've ever had, you'd be able to tell me in a second.I remember 20 years ago my stepfather coming home from a restaurant raving about an onion and blue cheese pizza that was the best thing he'd ever tasted. My sister-in-law has a family tradition of making incredible Chicago-style lamb pizzas every New Year's Day.
Baked onion and blue cheese flatbread.Credit: William Meppem
There's no room for snobs in the world of pizza. Just grab a slice and join the fun.
Baked onion and blue cheese flatbread
Serves 4
Lamb and harissa pizza.Credit: William Meppem
The sweet baked onions topping this flatbread glaze and caramelise in the oven, providing a perfect foil for the salty and pungent blue cheese.
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• sea salt and pepper, to season
• 4 red onions, peeled, cut into irregular-shaped wedges
• ⅓ cup sage leaves
• 150g gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled into pieces
Basic pizza dough
• 1¼ cups bread flour, or plain flour
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• pinch caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing and brushing
Heat your oven to 150°C. Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Combine the honey, vinegar and 1 tbsp of the oil in a bowl and season with salt. Add the onions and toss to coat. Pour the mixture onto the tray and place in the oven for 1 hour, turning halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Increase the oven temperature to 250°C.
For the dough, mix the dry ingredients together until combined, then add ¾ of a cup of warm water and oil and bring together to form a rough dough. Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a slightly warm, greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down to remove any air, roll out into a long, thin oval shape and place on a large oven tray.
Brush the surface of the dough all over with olive oil, scatter the edges with a little sea salt, then press the onions into the surface. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until dough is golden and cooked.
Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the sage leaves until crisp, about a minute. Scatter the hot flatbread with the cheese and sage leaves, drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and serve.
Lamb and harissa pizza
Serves 4
There's no fussy arrangement of toppings on this simple lamb pizza. Just fry it all up together and spread it on.
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 350g lamb mince
• 2 tbsp harissa paste
• ¼ cup currants
• 2 tomatoes, halved, coarsely grated, skin discarded
• pinch caster sugar
• salt and pepper, to season
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup (140g) Greek-style yoghurt
• 1/2 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
• 1/2 small bunch coriander, chopped
• 1/2 small bunch mint, leaves picked and torn
Prepare the dough as described in the recipe at left, roll out into a thin circle and place on a large pizza tray.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic and onion until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add the mince and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the harissa, currants, tomato flesh, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes, until the tomato has thickened. Set aside to cool.
Top the pizza base with the lamb mixture, then carefully sprinkle the poppy seeds around the edge and lightly press into the crust. Bake in the oven until the base is golden and cooked, about 10 minutes.
Combine the yoghurt, lemon rind and juice in a separate bowl, and season. Scatter the pizza with the herbs and drizzle with the yoghurt dressing to serve.
Adam's tip
Pizza dough freezes well and will keep for up to three months. Roll the dough into individual balls, freeze on a tray, and then store them in press-seal bags. Defrost the balls in the fridge or at room temperature as you need them.