Basic Pizza

1. For the pizza base: mix the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil together in a jug.

2. Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl, then make a well in the centre and pour in the water mixture. Mix and knead the mixture together to form a smooth dough.

3. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, each about the size of a tennis ball. Place the dough balls onto a tray and cover with a damp cloth, then leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

4. When the dough balls are doubled in size, dust a clean work surface or chopping board with a little flour. Take a ball of dough and flatten with your hand until 1 inch thick.

5. Pick up the disk of dough, and pinch the dough about half an inch from the edge. Try and stretch the dough out as you pinch, and repeat all around the edges of the dough until it becomes floppy.

6. Make a fist and drape the dough over it. Make a fist with the other hand and slip it under the dough next to your other fist. Carefully move your fists apart, stretching out the dough as you go.

7. Shift your fists (left towards your face, right away) so the dough rotates while stretching. When the dough has reached about 8 inches in diameter you can quickly move your left fist in an arc that goes backwards towards your face while twisting your right fist forward away from your face.

8. Place finished dough on a pizza stone or baking tray.

9. For the tomato base: put the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened. Add the basil leaves and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.