MAKING PIZZAS AT A KIDS CLUB

There was a request on Mumsnet for advice about making pizzas with a kids club.

Since I make bread with kids all the time, I responded with some tips - which I thought might be handy for anyone else in that situation. So here's my reply:

That's exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow morning - and it's what I did last year at this children's centre.

Only we've got just 90 minutes instead of two hours! [smile]

Some tips:
Plain old cheese and tomato topping is fine;
Use fresh yeast if you can get it - Sainsbugs will sell it to you for 60p for 200g (at the bakery counter). The bread rises faster, I find, than when using dried yeast;
Use a dessertspoon of yeast (teaspoon if using dried). (Both will dissolve quickly in the lukewarm water - fresh quicker than dried.) The more yeast you use, the quicker the bread will rise.
Place the rolled out pizzas on some baking parchment before adding topping;
Nick off a piece of dough to form an identifying initial or number. If you look carefully at the pizzas on my blog you'll see an initial on each of them;
Accept as much help as you can get - many hands make light work and all that;
Don't forget to allow for clearing up time afterwards;
Have some scissors to snip a piece of pizza off for the kids to sample - easier than a p/cutter.
Don't forget bags to take the rest home! 

Please don't stress about it - you'll have a great time, and so will the kids! I'm never sure who gets more out of these sessions, me or the kids!

Feel free to come back to me if you need more info. I'd encourage anyone to get involved in teaching cookery to kids.

Best wishes

I post on several food forums and I'm always surprised a the disparity between the expertise shown on show and the