Classic pizza base dough

To prepare pizza dough:

1. Put the flour and yeast in a large bowl and mix.

2. Add olive oil, sugar and salt and mix. Add warm water little by little and mix in using a flat-bladed knife until all the ingredients come together in a ball.

3. Continue to mix and knead using your hands. Work or knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Place the dough in a clean bowl and dust lightly with a little flour and leave to rise for 1 hour or until double the size.

5. Make your filling and reserve.

To cook the pizza:

1. Heat the oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas mark 8. Make six balls of equal size from the dough and leave to rise again, but only for 10 minutes.

2. Take each ball and stretch the dough with your fingers to a 25-cm/10-inch round circle. Make sure the dough is thicker at the edge than in the centre.

3. Place the pizza base onto a large floured baking tray. Spread the ingredients of the filling over the base, season with salt and pepper, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes.

4. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil poured over the top. Repeat for remaining pizza bases.