Frying-pan Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-dried Tomatoes

This is the easiest home-made pizza in the world. It's made with a scone dough which, happily, does not require kneading and proving. The topping can, of course, be varied to include whatever you like best, but the combination below is, I think, one of the nicest. If you don't have time to make up the tomato sauce, you can substitute 4 tablespoons of tomato purée.

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This recipe is taken from Delia Smith's Summer Collection

Method

First make up the tomato sauce by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan, adding the onion and garlic and cooking for 2-3 minutes to soften. Then add the chopped tomatoes and basil, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook over a medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced and concentrated their flavour. (While you're at it, why not make a larger quantity of this – it freezes very well!)

Now for the pizza base: sift the flour into a bowl along with the salt, some pepper and the herbs. Make a well in the centre and pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, followed by 4 tablespoons of water. Now mix to a soft (though not sticky) dough – you may find that you have to add a further tablespoon or so of water to get the right consistency.

Next, prepare a floured surface, turn the dough out on to it and knead lightly before rolling out to a round to fit the base of a 9-10 inch (23-25.5 cm) frying pan. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in the pan, place the circle of dough in it and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the base is lightly browned. Have ready an oiled plate and turn the pizza base out on to it. Then, after heating the remaining olive oil in the pan, slide the pizza back in and cook the reverse side for 5 minutes.

During this time, spread the reduced tomato sauce over the surface of the pizza, then scatter over the pieces of Mozzarella, the dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, capers and torn basil leaves. Season, then drizzle the oil from the preserved tomatoes over the top. To see if the underside of the pizza is cooked, you can lift up an edge with a palette knife and have a look. When it's ready, transfer the pan to a pre-heated grill for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese and heat the topping. Serve straight away.