Homemade Pizza with Halloumi and Lountza | Charalambides Christis

Instructions

For the dough

1. For best results, prepare the dough 1 day before making the pizza. Pour the water into the mixer bucket and add the dry yeast. Stir and leave the yeast to activate for a few minutes.
2. Once bubbles appear on the surface of the water, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix using the mixing paddle attachment. Mix at low speed.
3. When the flour is mixed well with the water, add the salt and a little more flour and continue mixing.
4. Repeat the process until all the flour is mixed well until the pizza dough is shaped. At this point, the dough should be a bit sticky or tacky to the touch.
5. Knead for 15 minutes until the dough is even enough.
6.  On a floured surface, knead the pizza dough by hand for another 5-6 minutes, until it is smooth enough and has elasticity.
7. Form the dough into a large round-shaped ball and place it in a large dish that has been slightly oiled with olive oil.
8. Next cover it very well using plastic wrap, so that no air passes through. Put the pizza dough in the fridge and let it rise for 24-30 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge 3 hours before making the pizza. Then, take the dough and knead for 2 minutes, forming 4 equal portions and shape them into balls.
9. Flour a large baking tray and place the shaped dough balls leaving enough space between them.
10. Cover the baking tray again with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 3 hours until it fully expands and doubles in size.

For the sauce

Final step

1. Flour a wide plastic spatula and carefully remove one dough ball, without ruining its shape and without removing air from inside.
2. Place the dough ball on a floured surface and sprinkle the dough with a little bit of extra flour.
3. With your hands, open the pizza dough, pressing with your fingers from the centre outwards. Rotate the pizza slowly and repeat the process until the pizza opens and forms as a round leaf, 25-30 cm.
4. Then add the sauce, covering the entire surface and continue with the halloumi.
5. Finally, add the lountza and bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees on the heating elements for about 15-20 minutes, placing it on the bottom grill of the oven.

Tip: Add a little semolina onto the baking tray or baking sheet that you will use for baking the pizza.