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Pizza night earns its place for a reason that has nothing to do with the pizza: a child who has built their own dinner is considerably more likely to eat it. Choosing three toppings from six is a real decision, and it puts them in control of a meal in a way that almost nothing else at the table does. That mechanism is the subject of our picky eater guide.
Jobs a child can genuinely do
- Tipping in pre-measured flour, yeast and salt
- Kneading, which most children enjoy and cannot really get wrong
- Spreading the sauce — the most satisfying job
- Arranging toppings from small bowls
The oven at 240°C is an adult job, without exception. Our family kitchen safety checklist covers setting up a counter before a small child is working at it.
Getting a decent base from a normal oven
Restaurant pizza ovens run at 400°C+. A domestic oven cannot do that, so you compensate:
- Preheat the oven as hot as it goes, for a full 20 minutes with the tray or stone already inside. Putting dough onto a preheated surface is what crisps the base.
- Stretch the dough thin. Thick dough in a domestic oven gives you a doughy middle.
- Go easy on the sauce and toppings. A wet, overloaded pizza steams. Two tablespoons of sauce per base is plenty.
Timing the dough around the day
The hour of rising is the only slow part, and it does not need supervising. Make the dough before school pick-up and it is ready when everyone is hungry. It can also rise slowly in the fridge for up to 24 hours, which improves the flavour.
Leftovers
Cold pizza is a legitimate lunchbox item and a good one. It keeps three to four days refrigerated, like any cooked leftover — see how long leftovers last. Cut it into strips rather than wedges for a lunchbox; it packs flatter.
