• Aubergine, sun-dried tomato pesto and fior di latte pizza

    Serves: 2 x 30cm pizzas
    Cooking Time: 1 hr

    Ingredients

    • Pizza dough

    • 15ml (1 tbsp) castor sugar
    • 10ml (2 tsp) dried yeast
    • 200ml lukewarm water
    • 450g (2½ cups) cake flour
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) salt
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
    • Topping

    • 2 medium aubergines, cut into thin rounds
    • 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 125g (½ cup) sun-dried tomato pesto
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) crushed garlic
    • 300g fior di latte or bocconcini
    • fresh basil

    Instructions

    1

    For the pizza bases, combine the sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Add 80ml ( cup) of the warm water and set aside for 5 minutes.

    2

    Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Pour in the oil, the remaining warm water and the yeast mixture, and pulse until the dough comes together.

    3

    Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly until soft but not sticky, about 10 minutes. Add a little more flour if it is too sticky or a few drops of water if it is too dry. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot.

    4

    After 30 minutes you can knock the dough down and divide it into 2 equal-sized balls.

    5

    Preheat the oven to 220°C.

    6

    Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to form a thin 30cm base. Repeat the process with the other piece of dough and place on a lightly greased baking tray.

    7

    To make the topping, toss the aubergine rounds and olive oil together, and season lightly. Cook the aubergine on a hot griddle pan over medium-high heat until tender, 1 – 2 minutes on each side.

    8

    Combine the pesto and garlic. Spread the pesto over the bases, top with the aubergine slices and place in the preheated oven. Cook until they are golden and crisp, 10 – 12 minutes.

    9

    Tear the fior de latte or bocconcini into bite-size pieces and scatter over the pizzas. Top with lots of fresh basil and ground black pepper.

    Notes

    To prepare ahead for a family gathering, par-cook the bases for 6 – 8 minutes. When you are ready to serve the pizzas, simply add the toppings and pop them into a preheated oven for 4 – 5 minutes. Don’t overload the pizza with too many toppings as less weight on top results in a crisper and lighter base when baked.