Sultry evenings are made for sharing food with friends in the most stressfree way possible. Solution? A pizza party! Prepare the dough and toppings ahead, deck the garden with twinkling lights, fire up the oven, then invite everyone to drink cocktails and feast on hot, freshly made pizzas

RECIPES, FOOD STYLING AND STYLING LOUISE PICKFORD PHOTOGRAPHS IAN WALLACE

PIZZA PARTY MENU FOR 8

THE COCKTAIL Elderflower prosecco with cucumber % THE PIZZAS Courgette, blue cheese and mint with pumpkin seeds Margherita with chorizo Heirloom cherry tomatoes, burrata and herb pesto % ON THE SIDE Roasted pepper and aubergine salad with crispy spiced chickpeas and labneh % TO FINISH Yuzu daiquiri cheesecake pots with salted lime praline crumbs

Basic pizza dough

the menu.

ENOUGH FOR 9 X 30CM PIZZA BASES. HANDS-ON TIME 50 MIN

MAKE AHEAD

Start the recipe the day before. The dough tastes better after a night in the fridge.

FOOD TEAM’S TIPS It’s hard to cook more than one pizza at a time, so make a large pizza to share, slicing and serving it before cooking another one.

• 450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting • 450g strong white bread flour • 2 tsp fine sea salt • 1 tbsp dried active yeast • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 1 Combine both flours and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Put the yeast in a small bowl and stir in 570ml cold water until dissolved. Stir the yeast/water into the flour mixture with the olive oil, then use your hands to work together until just combined. Add a splash more water if needed – the dough should feel a little sticky. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

2 Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then knead briskly for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Divide into 9 equal pieces, shaping into rounds. Transfer to 2 well floured baking trays, cover with lightly oiled cling film and chill overnight.

3 Take the dough out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Generously flour 9 sheets of non-stick baking paper and set aside. Lightly flour the work surface. Take one piece of dough and gently press to form a flat disc. Using your fingers, gently press the dough from the middle outwards to form a rim about 1cm from the edge (this will form the crust). Repeat 2 or 3 times so each time the dough becomes larger and thinner. At this stage you can pick the dough up, allow it to hang down to stretch it, and turn it several times until it forms a circle about 25-30cm wide.