Crustless Pizza

Asked by beatricerooker. Answered on 13th June 2013

Full question

Hi I just made this and iit looks nothing like the photo or description. It turned out like a giant Yorkshire pudding that was burnt on top and raw in the centre. Please tell me what I have done wrong and how to correct it - it looks like such a great and simple recipe, but I want it turn out like the one in the book! Thanks, Bea

Our answer

Nigella's Crustless Pizza (from Kitchen) is based on a Yorkshire pudding (popover) batter and the base will be smilar to a large Yorkshire pudding, though it shoud not quite as puffed up as a traditional Yorkshire pudding.

Nigella bakes her Crustless Pizza in a metal pie dish (as seen in the photograph in Kitchen, p27) and if you use a ceramic or Pyrex dish then you may find it useful to preheat the dish in the oven while you make the batter. Ceramic and Pyrex dishes will heat up at different rates and this can affect the cooking time. The other alternative would be to reduce the oven temperature to 180c/350F after the first 15 minutes and bake the base for slightly longer so that it cooks through. If the top looks like it is browning too quickly (which may happen in a fan oven) then cover the dish loosely with foil. When you add the pepperoni and cheese topping bump the oven temperature back up to 200c/400F, or, if you prefer, you could put the toppings on and put Crustless Pizza under a grill/broiler to melt the cheese.