Using scone dough to make a scone based picnic pizza instead of traditional yeasted dough makes it much quicker and easier to make pizza, and of course means it is possible to create a yeast free pizza.

For this recipe I’ve made the pizzas small so that they can easily be used for picnics or school packed lunches.

I did experiment with wholemeal flour for the pizza bases in an attempt to make a healthier version but I’m afraid it was the pizza base made with white flour that got the thumbs up from the family.

I used a roasted Mediterranean vegetables topping but you could easily substitute your favourite pizza topping. If you need some topping ideas have a look at ‘a couple cooks’ blog for some inspiration – but please come back here!

It would be simple to make this vegan by substituting a dairy free spread for the butter and soya milk for the milk/buttermilk in the scone dough recipe, and using a vegan cheese instead of mozzarella.

How to make Scone Based Picnic Pizza

Ingredients

Topping – Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

• 1 aubergine
• 2 red peppers
• 1 red onion
• 1 courgette
• 8-12 baby plum tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• Olive oil and salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

Scone Dough for the Pizza Bases

• 8 ounces / 225 grams self raising flour
• 2 ounces / 55 grams butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• A little black pepper to taste
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
• ¼ pint milk/buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

To Finish the Pizzas

• 1 quantity of roasted Mediterranean vegetables
• 1 quantity of tomato sauce
• 8 ounces / 225 grams mozzarella cheese chopped or grated

Directions

Topping – Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6
2. Cut all the vegetables except the tomatoes into smallish chunks and place in an oven proof shallow dish or a roasting tin in a single layer.
3. Chop the garlic and mix into the vegetables.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

5. Mix all together with your hands so the vegetables are evenly coated with olive oil.
6. Place in the pre-heated oven and roast for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and stir, turning the vegetables over. Add the tomatoes.

8. Return to the oven and roast for another 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Tomato Sauce

1. Chop the garlic finely.
2. Put the chopped garlic and olive oil into a small saucepan and stir over a moderate heat until the garlic is golden brown.

3. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer until the mixture has reduced and is thick.

4. At this point you can puree the sauce if you prefer a smooth sauce – I like the texture of a few small pieces of tomato remaining in the sauce.
5. Allow to cool.
6. While your topping is cooling you can make your pizza bases.

Scone Dough for the Pizza Bases

1. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, salt and dry mustard powder, and add a good grinding of black pepper.

2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture.

3. Mix to a soft dough with the milk or buttermilk.

4. Roll out like pastry on a well floured board to about ¼ inch thickness.

5. I used a small plate about 6 inches in diameter to cut out my pizzas.
6. Place the plate on top of the rolled out dough and cut around it and lift the circle of dough onto a greased baking tray.

7. Gather the scraps of dough together and re-roll until you have four pizza bases. There should only be a few scraps of dough left over.
8. When the four bases are on the greased baking tray brush them with a little olive oil.

To Finish the Pizzas

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6.
2. Spread each pizza with some of the tomato sauce.

4. Top with some of the roasted vegetables.

5. Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the vegetables.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to colour, and the bases are cooked through.

Scone Based Picnic Pizza

Course: LunchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• Topping – Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

• 1 aubergine

• 2 red peppers

• 1 red onion

• 1 courgette

• 8-12 baby plum tomatoes

• 2 cloves garlic

• Olive oil and salt and pepper

• Tomato Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• Scone Dough for Pizza Bases

• 8 oz / 225 gm self raising flour

• 2 oz / 55 gm butter

• ½ teaspoon salt

• A little black pepper to taste

• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder

• ¼ pint milk/buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• To Finish the Pizzas

• 1 quantity of roasted Mediterranean vegetables

• 1 quantity of tomato sauce

• 8 oz / 225 gm mozzarella cheese chopped or grated

Directions

• Topping – Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6
• Cut all the vegetables except the tomatoes into smallish chunks and place in an oven proof shallow dish or a roasting tin in a single layer.
• Chop the garlic and mix into the vegetables.
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Mix all together with your hands so the vegetables are evenly coated with olive oil.
• Place in the pre-heated oven and roast for about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and stir, turning the vegetables over. Add the tomatoes.
• Return to the oven and roast for another 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Tomato Sauce
• Chop the garlic finely.
• Put the chopped garlic and olive oil into a small saucepan and stir over a moderate heat until the garlic is golden brown.
• Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer until the mixture has reduced and is thick.
• At this point you can puree the sauce if you prefer a smooth sauce – I like the texture of a few small pieces of tomato remaining in the sauce.
• Allow to cool.
• While your topping is cooling you can make your pizza bases.
• Scone Dough for Pizza Bases
• Sieve together the flour, baking powder, salt and dry mustard powder, and add a good grinding of black pepper.
• Rub the butter into the flour mixture.
• Mix to a soft dough with the milk or buttermilk.
• Roll out like pastry on a well floured board to about ¼ inch thickness.
• I used a small plate about 6 inches in diameter to cut out my pizzas.
• Place the plate on top of the rolled out dough and cut around it and lift the circle of dough onto a greased baking tray.
• Gather the scraps of dough together and re-roll until you have four pizza bases. There should only be a few scraps of dough left over.
• When the four bases are on the greased baking tray brush them with a little olive oil.
• To Finish the Pizzas
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6.
• Spread each pizza with some of the tomato sauce.
• Top with some of the roasted vegetables.
• Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the vegetables.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to colour, and the bases are cooked through.

Serving Scone Based Picnic Pizza

1. Serve hot straight from the oven with a green salad.
2. Allow to cool before packing them into lunch boxes or for a picnic.

Freezing the Pizza

These scone based picnic pizzas are perfect for freezing. Open freeze them until they are frozen and then wrap individually or pack into a picnic box. They can then be used when required and will likely defrost on the day in time to eat.

Happy Baking!

Tanya