Double-cheese Pizza Bites

What a delicious way to welcome your guests! These mini pizzas are loaded with fresh tomato slices, two kinds of cheese, black olives and fresh herbs. And because they're on the light side, everyone will still have room for dinner.

Ingredients for double-cheese pizza bites

For the dough
340 plain flour, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 sachet dried yeast, about 7 g
1 cup tepid water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the toppings
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves to sprinkle
1 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, grated
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 kalamata olives, stoned and cut into slivers, to sprinkle

Preparation method for double-cheese pizza bites

1. Place flour in a large bowl and stir in the sugar, salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre and pour in the tepid water and oil. Gradually mix the flour into the water and oil; use a wooden spoon, then your hand, to make a soft dough.

2.    Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle the surface with a little extra flour if necessary, but try not to add too much as this will make the dough dry. Shape into a ball, cover with a clean tea-towel and leave to rise for 10 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

4. Use a knife to divide the dough into 4 pieces. Wrap 3 pieces in cling wrap and refrigerate. Cut the remaining piece into 12 equal portions and shape each into a 4-cm ball.

5. Arrange on the baking trays and flatten into 7 cm rounds. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

6. Top each round with 2–3 tomato slices, a few oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with a few olive slivers. Bake until the crust is golden-brown and crisp and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Repeat to use up the remaining dough. Serve hot.

From: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart