Pizza with taleggio

Makes 2 pizzas, serving 4-6

Sophisticated but simple: Pizza with taleggio (Jason Lowe)

Pizzas are good fun to make at home – they are so versatile. Once you get into the swing of making them you can have all sorts of fun with family and friends. You can make the toppings as simple or as sophisticated as you wish.

To vary this pizza bianco, try adding a little freshly chopped oregano or rosemary over it before cooking, or you could even shave a bit of truffle over the top to make it more luxurious.

For the base

500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1x7g sachet fast-action yeast mixed with about 150ml warm water
1tbsp clear honey
3tbsp olive oil
2tsp salt

For the topping

500g asparagus, woody ends trimmed
2tbsp freshly-grated Parmesan
150g taleggio, sliced
Olive oil, to serve

To make the pizza base, mix all the ingredients together in a food processor (with the dough hook attachment) for 2-3 minutes to form a stiff dough, adding more water during mixing if the dough isn't coming together.

Cover the bowl with clingfilm; leave to prove in a warm place for a couple of hours until the dough has doubled in volume. Remove the dough from the bowl; knead it back to its original size on a lightly-floured table.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to form a slipper shape roughly 30cm in length. Transfer the pizza base to a piece of lightly-floured greaseproof paper. Leave the dough to rise a little under a tea towel in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook half of the asparagus well in boiling salted water; drain and blend to a coarse purée with the Parmesan and season to taste. Cut the rest of the asparagus in half lengthways.

Preheat your oven to maximum heat; place a circular pizza stone or baking tray inside to heat up for 20 minutes. Take your pizza base, slide it on to your pizza stone, spread over the purée and arrange the asparagus and the taleggio on top.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden. Serve immediately, drizzled with a little olive oil.