Wood-fired pizza party

What it is

A garden party around a wood-fired or gas pizza oven. Guests make their own Neapolitan-style pizzas, which cook in about 90 seconds. Interactive, delicious and great for all ages.

Plan ahead

• One week before: test the oven and practise a few pizzas.
• The day before: make dough: 1kg 00 flour, 650ml water, 25g salt, 3g dried yeast. Knead, rest 2 hours, divide into 250g balls, and cold-prove overnight in the fridge.
• On the day: take dough out 2 hours before.

Topping bar

Tomato sauce (crushed tomatoes, salt and basil), mozzarella, parmesan, salami, ham, mushrooms, peppers, olives, rocket, chilli oil, hot honey.

How to make one

1. Stretch the dough by hand from the centre out, leaving a thick edge.
2. Lay it on a floured peel and add a spoon of sauce and toppings - less is more.
3. Slide it into the oven and turn it every 20 seconds until the crust is puffed and charred.

Food and drink

• Antipasti platter while the oven heats
• Pizzas
• Dessert pizza and gelato
• Italian lager, lemonade and wine

Tips

• Kids stretch and top; an adult launches and turns.
• Have a fire extinguisher or a bucket of sand nearby.