Tenderstem and chorizo pizza

Try this tenderstem and chorizo pizza for the perfect Friday night chill out.

A homemade Tenderstem and chorizo pizza is the perfect chill-out food for a Friday night in with your feet up and a film on telly. For a vegetarian option, swap the chorizo/ham for sliced red peppers or halved cherry tomatoes, or for a super nutritious version, crack whole eggs into a well in the centre of the pizza.

Ingredients (makes 4)

350ml warm water (made from 1⁄2 boiling and 1⁄2 cold)

1tbsp dried yeast

1tsp caster sugar

600g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt

For the topping:

240g Tenderstem

300g passata

350g mozzarella, torn into bite sized pieces

120g chopped chorizo or equivalent weight in chopped ham

50g Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

Measure the water into a jug and sprinkle over the yeast and sugar. Stir well and set aside for 10 minutes, after which time a little beer-like head will have begun to form on the surface.

Weigh the flour into a bowl and stir though the salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the olive oil and the yeasty water. Use a metal spoon to stir and bring the dough roughly together then tip onto the work surface. Using a pushing and pulling action with the heel of your hands knead the dough for about eight minutes until it is smooth and stretchy. Kids will love helping with this. When it’s ready, put into a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Blanch the Tenderstem in boiling water for two minutes, drain and allow to cool.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and cut into four pieces. Roll each piece to a rough circle of about 5mm thick and lay each on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas mark 8.

Top each pizza by spreading out two or three tablespoons of passata in a thin layer, then divide the Tenderstem between each. Sprinkle over the mozzarella and chorizo and scatter over the parmesan. Bake each pizza in a hot oven for about 12 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese melted and bubbling.

Recipe courtesy of www.tenderstem.co.uk