Meatball Pizza
Making your own pizza dough is just so satisfying, and should you have a bread maker on hand it’s even easier. You can flavour it with cheese and herbs. You can stuff the crust, make mini pizzas or pizzas shaped like dinosaurs – the possibilities are endless. This delicious meatball pizza recipe can be made as tiny bites for a party or one huge pizza to feed a tribe.
Ingredients
Method
Pizza dough
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 3to4 cups strong flour
- 2 tbsp oil (olive or vegetable)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- salt
Topping
- 250 g Prime Beef Mince
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- salt and pepper to season
- 6 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- ground black pepper
- rock salt
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- In a large bowl mix the yeast, warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Leave somewhere warm for the yeast to activate and work its magic. Once there's a froth in the yeast and water mixture, add the flour, oil and herbs and mix well. You'll soon be able to form a dough. Flour your hands and get in and knead the dough until it's elastic and smooth. This should take around 5 to 7 minutes. If you feel the mixture is too wet add flour a tablespoon at a time. If too dry then add a little water or oil.
- When you are satisfied that your dough is looking good, oil the bowl and the dough, cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm place. This should take about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the room temperature. You can ‘prove’ dough on a low heat in your microwave – see your instruction manual for details. When the dough has doubled in size you are ready to go.
- Make your sauce and the meatballs while you are waiting for the dough to rise.
- Blend your mince, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and beaten egg until well combined. Form a teaspoon of the mixture into a ball, seat aside and repeat until all the mince mixture is used up. Keep the meatballs in the fridge until you are ready to make up the pizzas.
- For the sauce simply blend the tomato paste with the second measure of dried herbs, black pepper and a teaspoon of salt. Add a dash of oil and blend well.
- To make up mini pizzas, simply break off small pieces of dough, roll into a ball and then flatten gently with your fingers to the desired size and thickness. Don't use a rolling pin as you’ll toughen the dough. If making one large pizza simply dust a baking tray with a smidgen of flour and polenta if you have it (for a crusty bottom). Place the dough in the centre of the tray and gently stretch and press the dough into the desired shape and thickness.
- Cover your bases with the tomato sauce. Dot with the meatballs and then sprinkle generously with mozzarella.
- Bake in a hot oven at around 200C until the cheese is golden brown and the meatballs are cooked through. Should be around 30 minutes.