Six Pizza Topping Ideas with Easy Dough
Make one dough, bake four pizzas and try six delicious topping combinations — from Margherita to truffle mushroom.
One reliable dough, four bases and six topping ideas — the perfect weekend experiment for pizza lovers. These combos cover the classics (a proper Margherita) and a few bolder options (truffle mushroom and BBQ chicken) so you can switch between comfort and clever.
Make the dough first, rustle up the sauce and roast veg while it proves, then assemble pizzas to suit every appetite. Great for a relaxed dinner where everyone picks their favourite topping.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 325 ml warm water — about 40°C — comfortably warm, not hot
- 5 g dried yeast
- 5 g caster sugar
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 30 ml olive oil
- 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
- 30 g tomato purée
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 300 g mozzarella
- 15 g fresh basil leaves
- 80 g pepperoni
- 1 red chilli — thinly sliced
- 1 aubergine — medium, sliced 5mm
- 1 courgette — medium, sliced 5mm
- 200 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 150 g ricotta
- 60 g prosciutto
- 40 g rocket
- 200 g cooked chicken breast — shredded or sliced
- 80 ml BBQ sauce
- 1 red onion — thinly sliced
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed or finely chopped
- 10 ml truffle oil — optional, for finishing
- 30 g parmesan — shavings for finish
- 15 ml honey — for finishing roast veg pizza
- 30 ml balsamic glaze — for finishing roast veg pizza
Equipment
- pizza stone or inverted baking tray
- rolling pin
- blender or hand blender
- kitchen scales
Instructions
Make the dough: in a large mixing bowl combine strong white bread flour, dried yeast, caster sugar and fine sea salt. Add warm water and olive oil, mix to a rough dough, then turn out and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First prove: oil the bowl lightly, return the dough, cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm to double in size.
Make the tomato sauce: blitz tinned plum tomatoes with tomato purée, a little olive oil, dried oregano and a pinch of fine sea salt. Simmer gently in a saucepan for 8–10 minutes until slightly reduced.
Prepare roast veg: toss aubergine, courgette and cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and a pinch of fine sea salt. Roast on a baking tray at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 20 minutes until slightly charred.
Cook mushrooms: heat a frying pan over a medium-high hob, add a splash of olive oil, then sauté chestnut mushrooms with crushed garlic and a pinch of fine sea salt for 6–8 minutes until golden and all liquid has evaporated.
Divide and rest the dough: knock back, divide into 4 equal pieces, shape into rounds and leave covered to relax for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven with a pizza stone or an inverted baking tray inside to 250°C fan/270°C conventional for at least 30 minutes so it's piping hot.
Shape and assemble pizzas: stretch each dough round to about 25cm, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, then build toppings as follows — Margherita: mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, drizzle of olive oil. Pepperoni & chilli: mozzarella, pepperoni, sliced red chilli and a grind of dried oregano. Roast veg & ricotta: roasted aubergine, courgette, cherry tomatoes, dollops of ricotta, finish with honey and balsamic glaze after baking. BBQ chicken & red onion: BBQ sauce base, cooked chicken breast, red onion and mozzarella. Prosciutto & rocket: mozzarella, bake, then top with prosciutto, rocket and parmesan shavings. Truffle mushroom: sautéed chestnut mushrooms and garlic, mozzarella, finish with a light drizzle of truffle oil.
Bake: slide each pizza onto the preheated stone or inverted baking tray and bake for 8–10 minutes until the base is blistered and the cheese is bubbling.
Finish and serve: top the roast veg pizza with a little extra honey and balsamic glaze; add prosciutto, rocket and parmesan to the prosciutto pizza after baking; drizzle truffle oil over the mushroom pizza. Slice and serve immediately.
Tips
- For a crisper base use a pizza stone or an inverted baking tray preheated for at least 30 minutes.
- Don’t overload with sauce or toppings — a thin layer of sauce and moderate cheese gives a crisp rim and cooked centre.
- If you have leftovers, slice and reheat in a frying pan over a medium hob with the lid on for best texture.
- Make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate after the first prove for deeper flavour; bring back to room temperature before shaping.
- Use cooked chicken (leftovers or poached) for the BBQ pizza — raw chicken will dry out in the quick bake.
Substitutions
mozzarella → buffalo mozzarella, same quantity
Stays closepepperoni → sliced salami, same quantity
Stays closeprosciutto → parma ham, same quantity
Stays closericotta → crème fraîche, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1085
- Calories
- 58 g
- Protein
- 112 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 1000 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use ready-made pizza bases instead of making dough?
Yes — if short on time use ready-made bases. Reduce bake time slightly and still preheat the tray or stone for a crisper finish.
What oven temperature is best?
A very hot oven (250°C fan/270°C conventional) gives the best blistered base. Preheat thoroughly with your stone or tray inside.
How do I stop soggy centres?
Use a thin sauce layer, avoid watery veg on the raw pizza, and ensure your oven surface is hot so the base cooks quickly.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes — portion the dough, wrap tightly and freeze for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temperature before shaping.
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