1. Keep it chilled.

When you collect your dough on Friday, keep it refrigerated in its container until the day you want to make your pizza.

The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days after collection, but I recommend you use it over the weekend for best results.

2. Bring the dough to room temperature

When you’re ready to make pizza, take the dough out of the fridge and leave it covered in its container at room temperature for 3–4 hours.

Don’t uncover it while it is resting — keeping it covered prevents the surface from drying out and forming a skin.

This is an important step. As the dough warms up, it relaxes and becomes much easier to stretch and shape.

3. Prepare your worktop

Lightly dust your worktop with semolina flour or ordinary flour.

Gently turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Try not to knock all the air out of it.

4. Shape your pizza

Using your fingertips, gently press the dough from the centre outwards.

Work gradually, pushing the dough towards the edges while leaving a rim of about 1–2cm around the outside. This untouched edge will puff up beautifully in the oven to create your crust.

Once the dough is stretched to roughly 12 inches, transfer it to your baking tray, pizza stone or peel.

Don’t worry about making it perfectly round! A rustic, slightly irregular pizza is part of the charm.

Don’t use too much flour.

A light dusting is all you need. Too much flour can make the base dry and can burn in a very hot oven. Semolina flour is best as it has a low gluten content and doesn’t get absorbed into the dough, but a sprinkling of normal flour will do.

Don’t use a rolling pin.

Rolling pushes the air out of the dough. Your fingertips will gently stretch it while keeping those lovely bubbles around the edge.

If the dough keeps springing back:

Stop and leave it alone for 10–15 minutes, then try again. The gluten simply needs a little more time to relax.

If the dough feels sticky:

Resist the temptation to keep adding flour. Lightly flour your hands and worktop and handle the dough gently.

Don’t overload your pizza.

A generous layer of sauce and mountains of toppings can make the centre heavy and soggy. Less is often more.

Get your oven as hot as possible!!!!

Pizza loves intense heat. Preheat your oven thoroughly, ideally with a pizza stone or steel inside if you have one.

Have everything ready before you shape the dough.

Once your dough is stretched, you want to add your toppings and get it into the oven without too much delay.

This simple sauce takes just a few minutes and tastes so much better than a jar.

Makes enough for approximately 4 × 12” pizzas

• 1 × 400g tin good-quality chopped or peeled tomatoes

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or crushed

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

• A good pinch of black pepper

• A small pinch of sugar, only if your tomatoes need it

• A few fresh basil leaves, optional

Method

Put the tomatoes in a bowl and crush them with your hands or the back of a spoon.

Stir in the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

Taste. If the tomatoes are particularly sharp, add a tiny pinch of sugar.

You don’t need to cook the sauce — it will cook beautifully on the pizza.

Spread a thin layer over your prepared pizza base, leaving the crust uncovered.

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Topping ideas

🍅 Classic Margherita

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

🧀 Four Cheese

Mozzarella, mature cheddar, parmesan and a little blue cheese.

🍄 Woodland

Mozzarella, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and parmesan.

🌿 Mediterranean

Tomato, mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives, red onion and fresh basil.

🥔 Potato & Rosemary

Very thinly sliced potato, mozzarella, rosemary, sea salt and olive oil. Delicious with a little parmesan.

🍐 Pear, Blue Cheese & Walnut

A little mozzarella, thinly sliced pear, crumbled blue cheese and walnuts. Finish with a drizzle of honey after baking.

🧅 Caramelised Onion & Goat’s Cheese

Tomato sauce or a light olive oil base, caramelised onion, goat’s cheese, mozzarella and fresh thyme.

🌶️ Hot & Spicy

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, roasted peppers, chilli flakes and a drizzle of chilli oil after baking.

🥬 Green Pizza

Mozzarella, courgette ribbons, spinach, pesto and parmesan. Add the pesto after baking for the freshest flavour.

Yes you can freeze Wisteria Pizza Dough.

Keep it in the container and pop it into your freezer.

When you’re ready to use the dough, remember that the dough needs 3-4 hours at room temperature to relax and be easy to shape. So, take your dough out of the freezer and defrost it in the fridge overnight.

It’ll need a few hours on your counter top to reach room temperature and become pliable, ready to shape.