How to Make A Perfect Pizza

Felicity's perfect pizza. Photograph: Felicity Cloake

Pizza is well worth making at home: it's easy, fun, and perfect to tear into with your fingers. All you need is a hot oven and a light and flavour some dough – the rest is entirely up to you.

Makes 6–8 depending on size

• 500g pizza flour (or half 00 flour and half strong white flour)
• 10g fresh yeast (or 7g instant dried, made up as on packet)
• ½ tsp sugar
• 320ml warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• Your chosen toppings
• Olive oil and semolina flour, to serve

1. Mash together the yeast and sugar and leave for 1 minute. Stir into the water, then add to the flour and mix in a food processor on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes, until it comes together into a soft dough. Add the salt and then turn the speed up slightly and mix for another 4 minutes. Alternatively, mix them together with a wooden spoon, then turn the dough out on to a work surface, add the salt, and knead for 10 minutes.

2. Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, and turn over to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, or cling film, and leave in a warm place for four hours.

3. Divide the dough into satsuma-sized pieces and roll into balls on the worksurface using the palm of your hand. Put on a lightly-oiled baking tray, cover and store somewhere cool until you're ready to cook (if you don't want to use it all, the dough should keep at this point for about a fortnight if properly sealed, but don't divide it up until you're going to use it).

4. Turn the oven to its highest setting, and add your seasoned (a new stone should come with seasoning instructions) pizza stone, terracotta or heavy baking tray. Allow to heat for about an hour to make sure there are absolutely no cold spots.

5. Dust a worksurface with a little flour and put a ball of dough on to it. Flatten it using your hand, then knock the air out of it with your fingertips. Lift it up on to your fingertips and rotate it, stretching it out as you go until it's as thin as possible, leaving a thicker ring of dough around the edges.

6. Slide on to a rimless baking tray or pizza paddle dusted with semolina, and, working as quickly as possible, add the toppings and a drizzle of olive oil. Slide on to the hot surface and cook for about 8 minutes, keeping an eye on them, until crisp and golden. Devour immediately.

Do you prefer thin and crispy Roman style pizzas, soft and chewy Neapolitan ones, or the hefty American versions – and what do you like to top them with? Has anyone any top tips for success, or sourdough recipes they'd like to share ... and will anyone admit that, actually, ham and pineapple is a pretty good combination?