Happy almost end of lockdown, you know, till it got extended at the very last minute. While it’s 20 more days of looking homeless at home, the rest of the world seems to be rising to the occasion rather creatively. People are dressing up to take out their trash, Italians have a new way to ring in aperitivo hour and this 99yo champion grampy raised a whopping £9M walking in his garden. And ofcourse 1.2billion millenials successfully completed #facechallenenge on Tiktok. Now, that’s a real achievement.

The truth is, what I miss more than people, is Pizza. Droopy slices slick with pepperoni grease and miles of melted cheese that string to each other as you wrestle away a piece. The aroma of an open pizza box which makes you look at it more lovingly than your first born. The anxious tracking of the pizza guy and the sheer ecstasy when he rings the bell. I can’t help but mourn this distance in our relationship.

It got pretty serious when a pizza delivery driver in Delhi was diagnosed with Covid, forcing 72 families into self quarantine. Which is when I knew it’s time to take things in my own hands – I had to grow my own pizza. In the shortest time and with the least effort.

Enter the Three Ingredient Pizza, from scratch. Made with everything that’s already in your pantry. My recipe has no-egg or yeast and comes with minimal upper body workout disguised as kneading action. Not to mention, this pizza had endless customization possibilities to make you feel like your fav neighbourhood pizzeria. Here are some ideas:

• Cheese : Soft burrata, bite sized cheddar chunks or shaved parm
• Grilled pineapple (I won’t judge you)
• Pickled onions and garlic topped with chilli oil
• Pancetta, bacon bits or Proscuitto
• Tinned Tuna or anchovies in oil
• Lastly, and this is my fav – Cheetos dust (found at the bottom of the packet) or crushed cheeslings. Trust me, you’re going to thank me one day.

Three Ingredient Pizza

Ingredients

• Self Raising Flour (Or AP Flour + 1.5tsp baking powder) – 1 cup
• Greek Yoghurt – 1 cup
• Potato, thinly sliced – 1 medium
• Salt, Pepper & Dry herbs like Thyme or Rosemary
• Additional toppings – Pesto & Salted Pistachios
• Extra virgin olive oil – 3 tbsp

Method

• Start with soaking the sliced potatoes into salt water – this is best done at the time of slicing to avoid them from turning brown. Soak for atleast 3 hours. Drain and leave to dry on paper towels.
• Mix both the flour and yogurt in a bowl and stir to combine with a fork. It will look like a shaggy dough at first but as you keep stirring, it will start coming together. Oil your hand and get it all into a cohesive ball.
• Tip the contents of the bowl onto a clean, floured surface. Use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes till it’s no longer sticky and  springs back to touch. Use additional flour to dust as needed.
• Preheat the oven to 240 degrees Celsius.
• As the dough is resting, season the potatoes with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice. I had thyme at hand, but it also pairs excellently with fresh rosemary. Coat with 1tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil and mix it all together.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into an even rectangle, about half an inch. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat it with 1tbsp of oil. Using a guide such as a rectangular platter or a bread mould (I used the lid of a spice box) trace the edges on the pizza dough to create a shape. Remove the excess using your fingers. You can roll out the scrap to make a second, smaller pizza.
• Transfer the pizza dough to the greased baking tray and brush the top of the dough with the remaining oil. Arrange the potato slices to overlap with each other on the dough and sprinkle with extra salt.
• Bake in the centre of the oven till the edges of both the dough and the potatoes have become golden brown, this should take between 20-30 minutes. You may want to transfer the tray to the top section of the oven – about 5-7 mins before time, for extra crispiness.
• Remove from oven and onto the serving platter. Top with pesto and salted pistachios. Enjoy warm

Tip : This pizza is best had the day it’s made. If you wish to make the dough ahead, let it stand for no more than 1 hour.