Povo Pantry Pizza:

NB: This is a variation of Grandma pizza, a homemade rectangular thin crust you can make on a cookie sheet. You also may choose to meal prep these as individual frozen pizzas, have them as prepped bases, or bake them into pizza scrolls for lunchboxes.

It may not be nutritious or convenient, and it’s not as cheap as a very low deal from Domino’s etc. You may hate or question the use of Spam (even though it tastes very similar to the processed shredded ham used on normal pizza). Strasburg or salami can be substituted.

HOWEVER. Almost all of the ingredients are shelf stable pantry staples, things you can get from food pantries or find forgotten in the back of the cupboard, or something you’d already just have on hand. This is an end of month meal made from flour, staples and leftover cans, something to keep in your back pocket when you’re broke or everything is closed. (I was making my own to accommodate food intolerances.)

The only special note I’d make is to buy the yeast and keep it in the freezer.

Dough: Yeast, water, sugar, salt, flour, oil.

Use the recipe from Taste with whatever cooking oil you have. (Bloom the yeast in warm water first if you’re not sure how old it is.) Halving this recipe made a thick crust on a single cookie sheet. If you prefer thin crust divide it over two sheets and increase the toppings. Or follow the original if you have enough appetite and toppings.

Toppings:

Hawaiian: Spread tomato sauce over the base, sprinkle with Italian herbs from a Hoyts sachet (plus dried or fresh garlic and onion if you prefer or have it). Top with matchsticked Spam or leftover ham, drained pineapple, and grated block cheese (or whatever you have).

BBQ chicken: Spread BBQ sauce over the base and top with shredded leftover cooked chicken. Add cheese, herbs, garlic, onion, whatever you have.

Pepperoni: If you have sliced salami that needs to be used or the ones you slice yourself are cheap - good option.

Margherita: If you have tomato sauce, paste, or tomatoes plus some cheese this is a classic. If you have garlic, onions and herbs so much the better.

Leftovers: Roast veg would go well with caramelised onions. If you had any leftover lamb you could just add that and drizzle with mint jelly or homemade tzatziki after baking.

Capsicums, mushrooms, random jars of olives and eggs you need to use up can all be thrown in there. Who knows, peanut butter and chicken could be passed off as Satay.

I usually baked in a prewarmed oven at 180 or 200 Celsius.

To freeze: Make the bases to a size and shape that will easily fit in your freezer. This can be on a cookie sheet but I used to make individual sized pizzas, stack them on a dinner plate with pieces of baking paper inbetween, and then wrap the plate in foil to go in the freezer. This works even with toppings, they do not stick together or to the paper.

When you want some pizza for yourself take one or two out and bake it still on its paper, reducing cleanup.