Minimum effort, maximum smugness. Granted, it takes longer to make than a supermarket pizza, but it tastes 89% nicer. And, did I mention the smugness? Makes 4 individual pizzas.

• 500g plain flour, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml warm water

1. Put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar into a large bowl and mix together. This is weirdly satisfying
2. Make a well in the middle and add the olive oil and about two thirds of the water
3. Mix together to form a soft dough, adding more water if needed to bring it together without making it soggy
4. Dust the work surface with flour. Tip the dough out of the bowl and knead for around 7 mins until elastic and lovely. Form into a ball
5. Clean the bowl or get a new one, and lightly oil the inside
6. Plop the ball of dough into the bowl and place the whole thing into a plastic bag, sealing the open side by tucking it underneath
7. Leave in a warm place for an hour to prove, until doubled in size
8. Pre-heat oven to 230C fan (250C)
9. Tip out the puffy dough and knead briefly to remove some of the air
10. Divide into 4 and roll each quarter out into a roughly circular or oval shape around 3-5mm thick, dusting the work surface and the rolling pin with flour
11. Line the baking trays or dust them well with flour, and lay the pizzas on them
12. Top with whatever you like, although avoid anything too wet
13. Wack into the oven for 12 mins, at which point the edges should be crusty and golden and the middle should be cooked through
14. Let the smugness commence!

Alternatively, you can use a cooking technique suggested by the amazing Pizza Pilgrims Pizza in the Post kit. This is the actual best pizza I’ve ever eaten. I urge you to try it if you feel like eating pizza that is a bit more special and bit less effort than this recipe. Anyway, all you do is pre-heat the grill to high and stick a large frying pan on the hob on medium-high. Cook the pizza in your nice hot pan until the bottom is golden. Then stick the whole pan under the grill for a couple more mins until the pizza is puffy and golden. I encourage you to watch the video, if only because the chef is so nice.

My fave pizza combination is tomato sauce, mozzarella, sliced olives, cooked courgette slices and jalapenos. Arrange attractively and lavishly, then sprinkle over a bit of grated parmesan and a few torn fresh basil leaves. You could use roasted peppers, sweetcorn, chillies, pieces of cooked sausage, ham, cooked and well-squeezed-out spinach. Anything your heart desires! (Including pineapple but maybe not anchovies. Oh ok then, you can have anchovies too if you want).

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

• 300ml tomato passata
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• Black pepper

1. Heat the oil and scrape in the garlic
2. Stir until just golden then add the passata, salt, sugar and pepper
3. Cook at a bubble, stirring, just until it’s thickened a bit

Phew, that was a long one. If you got all the way to the end, well done you. Give yourself a treat from me.

The delicate, deeply-scented, floral flavour of early summer. And the bonus that you get to feel deeply, contentedly smug about making it from scratch. It’s just the thing with sparkling water, a slice of lemon and a substantial slug of gin.

• 25 large, heavily pollen-y elderflower blossom heads (or 30 small ones)
• 2 lemons, zest pared in strips and then the fruit sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2 kg granulated sugar
• 50g citric acid (or the juice of the lemons)

1. Gently shake each of the elderflower heads outdoors (or over the sink) to remove any errant bugs
2. Place in a large bowl with the sliced orange and lemon
3. In a large saucepan on a low heat, dissolve the sugar in 1 litre of cold water
4. Stir over the heat until the liquid is completely clear
5. Then increase the heat to bring the syrup to the boil, then stir in the citric acid and pared lemon zest
6. Pour the syrup over the elderflower, orange and lemon
7. Cover the bowl with a big plate and set on one side in a cool place to steep for about 24 hours
8. Strain into a jug, through a muslin-lined sieve, and them divide between sterilised jars or bottles
9. Seal tightly and keep in a cool, dark place. Use within 2 months and refrigerate after opening

I love the early summer search for elderflowers, guided by the heady scent of a whole trees-worth of blossom. Bring sharp scissors to snip each nodding head at the base of the flowerhead straight into a plastic carrier bag. Go picking on a warm, sunny day – if you pick them after rain, much of the flavour of the blossoms will have been washed away.