Toddler recipe: homemade pizza with veggie faces

Method

• step 1

  To make the dough, put both flours into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 400ml warm water and the olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Bring together with a light knead in the bowl then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. Leave the dough to rise if you have time but it’s not essential for a thin crust.

• step 2

  To make the sauce, blitz the tomatoes, garlic and thyme and a little seasoning, either in a food processor or using a hand blender.

• step 3

  Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 8. Get the toppings ready in bowls so that your children can decorate their own.

• step 4

  If the dough has had time to rise, give it a little knead in the bowl, then split into four balls. On a floured surface, roll out two of the balls into wide circles using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift these onto two floured baking sheets or pizza trays.

• step 5

  Smooth sauce over bases with a spoon. Scatter with cheese, then start making the faces. Courgette rounds make great eyes or cheeks, halved courgette rounds can be used for ears and spiralised courgette for hair. Strips of pepper are good for eyebrows and mouths while olives and halved cherry tomatoes make great eyes or earrings. Sweetcorn can be used for teeth or freckles. Let their imagination go wild.

• step 6

  Cook for around 10-15 mins until crisp. You’ll want to swap the pizzas to a lower shelf halfway through the cooking time.

• step 7

  Repeat for the second two pizzas or freeze the balls of dough in two separate freezer bags, plus any remaining sauce in a sealed container.