The life of a pizza

From birth to death, the life cycle of a pizza.

The dog is not interested until the cheese appears

Don't feel bad for it, it died in a good cause (and was delicious)!
If you're interested in making your own pizza, it's dead easy. The recipe I used is from (Amazon link) River Cottage Veg Every Day! (River Cottage Every Day)
Here's the recipe for the dough, taken from that book:
250g strong white bread flour
250g plain white flour
5g powdered dried yeast
10g salt
325ml warm water
About 1 tbsp olive oil
1 handful coarse flour (rye, semolina or polenta), for dusting

In a bowl, mix the flours, yeast, salt and water to form a sticky dough. Mix in the oil, then turn out on to a clean work surface and knead until smooth and silky. (Alternatively, if you have a mixer with a dough hook, mix the flours, yeast, salt and water on a low speed, add the oil and knead for 10 minutes). Shape into a round, and leave to rise in a clean bowl, covered with a plastic bag, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven (and pizza stone or substitute) as high as it will go. Take a lime-sized piece of dough and roll it into a 5mm thick round. Dust a rimless baking sheet with coarse flour, lay the dough on it, add your toppings and slip the pizza from the sheet on to the hot stone. Bake until any cheese is bubbling and the base is taking on some colour, seven to nine minutes. Scatter over any leaves or raw toppings, and tuck in.
All these pics taken with my iPhone, hence the slightly iffy quality

The Art of the Cheese Toasty

This is a guide to creating that most sublime of snacks - the cheese toasty.
There are many who would ask why such a simple dish would need a guide.
Well, my sceptical friends, whilst it is true that a cheese toasty is not a complex thing, there are layers of subtlety and techniques that turn a toastie into a work of culinary art.
Just follow these simple steps and you too can become a Da Vinci of the toasty world.

Step 1 - Requirements
Ideally, you will have a griddle pan (although a frying pan should suffice)
E.g.

And, of course, the ingredients for the sandwich itself

I'm going with simple cheddar and some Sainsbury's Warm & Spicy Tomato Chutney

Step 2 - Making the sandwich

Construct a normal sandwich

At this point, the family pet may start to take an interest...

Step 3 - The important bit

Once you have constructed the sandwich in the normal fashion, you need to butter the outside of it

I know, mad isn't it?

Now, while you're doing that, start heating up the griddle.  Should be on a medium heat, but be sure not to put any oil in (that's what the butter's for!)

Step 4 - Toasting the Toasty

Once the griddle has heated up, put the sandwich in, thusly...

Leave it sizzling away there for a minute or two, then carefully lift up a corner (I'd advise using a fish slice for this - there will be hotness) and see if the underside has toasted.  If not then leave it for a bit longer, but if it looks done then turn it over

Almost there!

Now we just have to wait for the other side to toast and we'll be done.

Check it after a minute or two to see if it's toasted.  If not, leave it a bit longer, but if it is done...

Step 5 - It's toasty time!

Remove from the griddle (not forgetting to turn the heat off) and serve with a beverage of your choice (I've gone with Sainsbury's Organic, Fair Trade coffee, because I am just that middle-class)

Enjoy...