Classic Takeaway Pizza

Dinner | Italian

Prep time: 2 min Cook time: 35 min Servings: 2

This is my version of a takeaway pizza I use to eat growing up, like dominos or pizza hut, but I've tweaked it so it's fresher, bigger and tastier. We're making a simple dough recipe that will have a nice fluffy edge once you cook it. We'll also make the sauce and turn it into a margherita pizza.

Why a takeaway pizza recipe?

I recently noticed that the size of takeaway pizza has decreased over the years but the price has gone up (thanks inflation). So I did some digging and made a video comparing the takeaway pizza size we have now to what we use to get 20 years ago. As part of this video, I created my version of a classic takeaway pizza you can make at home, and it turned out to be delicious.

Now I do love the Neapolitan, New York or Sicilian, but this recipe took me back to my childhood. So If you want to recreate a the nostalgic takeaway pizza recipe at home, here it is.

Ingredient notes

Semolina - when buying the semolina, you want to find some with a little coarseness (not the super-fine semolina flour).

Mozzarella - you want a low moisture mozzarella as it will melt well, get a little browning and not release too much water. I also prefer to buy the blocks (or balls) and grate it myself.

Toppings - I've added some classic toppings below but feel free to change them as you please. Other ideas are Vegemite and hot honey, chorizo and peppers, or potato, rosemary and pancetta.

Tools

Stand mixer fitted with dough hook (or large mixing bowl if mixing by hand)
Digital kitchen scales
Large mixing bowl (for proofing)
Baking tray (for proofing dough balls)
Medium–large saucepan
Stick blender (immersion blender) or countertop blender
Pizza trays or standard baking trays with a cooling rack
Chopping board, measuring spoons, wooden spoon, bench scraper, chef’s knife or pizza wheel, cling wrap or tea towel

Ingredients

350ml water (ambient temp)
7g (2¼ tsp) dry yeast
15g caster sugar
500g bread flour
20ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
5g salt
semolina, for dusting
250g grated mozzarella cheese,
2 tomatoes, diced
Pizza sauce
800g can crushed tomatoes
60ml (¼ cup) tomato paste (tomato puree)
.5 tbsp dried oregano
.5 tbsp dried basil
.5 tbsp garlic powder
.5 tbsp salt
.5 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp white pepper
Additional topping options
Fresh diced pineapple, leg ham, grated mozzarella
Sliced Pepperino, BBQ sauce, bacon, sausage, seasoned beef mince

Directions

Make the dough
Combine the water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed to combine (about 1-2 minutes).
Add the flour and mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Pour in the olive oil and salt and mix for a further 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Transfer to your bench and bring it together with your hands until you have a lovely smooth surface and a nice tight ball (see cook support below if you need further instructions).
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside until doubled in size, 1-2 hours (depending on your room temperature).
Uncover the dough and knock back, then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces (for 10in pieces) and roll each into a tight ball (or 2 pieces for larger 12in pizzas, see notes below).
Place on a lightly oiled tray with space in between for spreading. Lightly oil the tops of the dough and cover with some cling wrap.
Set aside to proof again, until doubled in size, about 30 mins to 1 hour.
Make the sauce
Combine the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, sugar and pepper in a large saucepan. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, mixing well.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer the sauce for 20 mins.
Remove from the heat and puree the sauce with a stick blender, until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
Shape and bake
Preheat the oven to 230°C (445°F) fan forced, if you have a pizza stone you can place this in the oven also.
Lightly dust 3 pizza trays with some semolina. (if you don't have pizza trays, baking trays will work)
Stretch the dough balls out on a lightly floured surface to a 10in (25cm) circle, creating a thick rim around the edge (about 20mm). Place on the prepared pizza tray.
Spread the base with some of the pizza sauce, leaving a 15mm border for the crust. Sprinkle over the cheese, then top with the diced tomato (or add your chosen toppings).
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and base is cooked.
Slide the pizzas onto a large chopping board and slice into 8 pieces and serve.

Recipe notes

Origins

This is a variation on the New York style pizza, to get as close to a store-bought Dominoes pizza as possible….but better!

Cook Support

How to roll into a tight ball - take one end of the dough, slap it down and pull it back over the other end so the edge rolls under. Then grab the dough at the other side and repeat. Then use your hands to crimp it underneath and work it into a ball shape. This should only take a few steps as you don’t want to overwork it.

When shaping the dough into the pizza bases, work from the centre out and aim to keep as much air as possible in the edge to achieve that puffy crust.

This recipe makes approximately 900g of dough, which can make = 3 x 300g balls (10” base); 2 x 450g balls (12” base); 6 x 150g lunch size pizzas (7” base).

Sourcing

Semolina can be sourced from major supermarkets and quality green grocers, you don't want the super-fine semolina flour, ideally find some with a little coarseness.

Substitutions

Play around with whatever toppings you like for your pizza, just take care to not overload the topping as it can lead to a soggy base not quite cooking enough.

Storage

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Chef Tips

Let the dough rise fully. Longer fermentation (or an overnight cold ferment) improves flavour and texture.
Add the salt after the flour has mixed to help gluten development.
Shape tight dough balls with good surface tension for better oven spring and a puffier crust.
Lightly flour the bench only; use semolina on trays for crunch without toughening the base.
Simmer the sauce gently, don’t over-reduce or it will become too thick and heavy.
Allow the sauce to cool completely before spreading on the dough.
Use less sauce than you think to avoid a soggy centre.
Grate your own mozzarella for better melt and stretch.
Don’t overload toppings, lighter coverage gives a crispier base and better rise.
Preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes (longer if using a stone).
Bake on the lower rack for better bottom heat and crust colour.
Rotate the pizza halfway through baking to account for hot spots.
Finish with a brief grill (broil) at the end for extra colour if needed.