A relaxed, finger food affair that can be as pared down or buttoned up as you so choose.
When spending an evening making pizza at home, there’s of course the free for all option, where you flood the table with every topping known to humankind. The result is always a nice time, but ultimately a forgettable one. To jump the gun with outrageous presumption: you’re here because you want your guests to have an evening they’ll be talking about for decades, and quite possibly hold as the gold standard of comparison for all homemade pizza nights to come. Welcome.
We’ll divide the potential evenings into three categories: casual, civilised, and lavish. Don’t assume a hierarchy based on their names, all can be done exceedingly – and equally – well. Make sure every red base is a San Marzano one, and accompany each meal with a green salad, dressed with a simple lemon dressing and fresh herbs running throughout.
But first, before we explore the intricacies of each style of evening, we must start with their commonality, the base of every pizza night. This is of course, the dough.
Pizza dough
We’ll keep it simple here. Start your dough the day before the event. It’ll be fluffier, it’ll taste better, and it’s one less task on the night. For roughly four 15” pizzas, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour 560 g
- Warm water 410 ml
- Olive oil 60 ml
- Active dry yeast 1 tsp
- Salt 0.5 tbsp
- Sugar 0.5 tbsp
Whisk the water and yeast together then leave it for 10 minutes to activate. Add the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast solution into a mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the olive oil and work it in with your hands. Dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Once done, wash and dry your mixing bowl, coat the inside with oil and place the giant doughball back in. Cover the top with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight to double in size. You can separate it and work each ball into a base straight from the fridge.
It’s obviously best to cook your pizza in a pizza oven, in the same way it’s better to segment a bunch of grapes with a pair of grape scissors than a with kitchen scissors – even lovely ones like ours. Sadly, we aren’t all afforded that luxury, so will have to make do without. A fan oven and pizza stone offer a good alternative when cooking pizza at home, a cast iron skillet pizza is also a viable option. Failing all of that, just opt for an oven tray. A good pizza cutter is essential though, and should be produced at the table when serving.
If a monstrous twist of fate causes something to happen to the dough right before the guests are due to arrive, or you simply forget to make it the day before – you’re busy, we understand. Calmly pop to the shops and buy as many puff pastry sheets as you have guests coming. Then, heartily welcome them to your Puff Pastry Pizza Night, carrying on as you were. Tell anyone that questions you that it was always the plan.
Casual
A dressed down, easy going evening filled with crowd favourites. Beers on arrival, bottles of ice-cold Italian lager, possibly a G&T. To nibble – while you prepare your toppings and turn the oven on – lean into finger food with panko mozzarella and a spicy dip with some kettle crisps. For the pizzas: pepperoni, taleggio, tomato base; mozzarella, datterinis, basil, parmesan, tomato base; sausage, jalapeño, mozzarella, tomato base. To drink, a medium bodied red like a Cab Franc or Valpolicella, or just stick with the beers.
Civilised
Simple and classy. Start with a dry vermouth over ice, garnish with olive and a twist. Appetisers are grilled artichoke hearts, Ceregnola olives (marinaded if you can), and a black pepper hand-cooked crisp. Pizzas: nduja, smoked gouda, hot honey, tomato base; prosciutto, roasted chestnut mushrooms, pecorino, rocket, taleggio base; Kalamata olives, caramelised red onions, anchovies, capers, tomato base. Choose your wine depending on the season. However, a chilled, juicy Beaujolais is always sure to impress.
Lavish
Embellish the ‘food of the people’ with a touch of extravagance – or some pizzazz? There could be place cards, perhaps you even introduce a dress code. Prosecco on arrival, of course. Brut. Or a simple sparkling cocktail like a French 75. To nibble (as you turn your state of the art pizza oven on), truffle crisps and canapés: mini-bruschetta topped with chorizo crisps; pea and asparagus purée on lemon zest crackers. Pizzas: shaved truffle, speck, stracciatella, salted ricotta base; gorgonzola, Tropea onions, pancetta, white base; fresh San Marzano and oregano marinara with garlic and chilli oil. To drink, keep the bubbles coming or serve with a Chablis.