ToTT, short for Tools of The Trade, is my favourite shopping destination when it comes to cooking and baking tools. Spanning across 36,000 square feet, its premises consist of cooking studios and a bistro, aside from the well-stocked shopping haven.

You can find an extensive range of almost 10,000 cooking, baking and hosting products sourced from all over the world to suit your needs, at the 25,000 square feet retail store. Shop in sheer comfort in the spacious air-conditioned store, with trolleys provided.

If you have a great passion in cooking and baking, you should consider signing up for ToTT membership, where members get to enjoy 10% cash rebate off selected goods at the ToTT Retail Store and Cooking Studio. I’m a proud owner of one!

My most recent trip there was to attend a pizza-making session with Chef Theo Kalogeracos in the well-equipped cooking studio. Chef Theo is a two-time winner of the World Pizza Championship title. During the session, he demonstrates the use of his prized creation, the Pizza Perfector, and shares tips on making a great pizza.

The Pizza Perfector by Theo & Co. is sleek and comes in two colours. Perfect for any modern day kitchen.

During the session, we learnt how to make basic pizza dough from scratch, followed by a savoury and a sweet pizza topping.

His recipes are clear and comprehensive, providing tips and explanation along the way. Encouragements found within instructions will boost one’s perseverance. “Don’t be put off by the task. Think of it as a good workout for your muscle.”

I highly recommend attending the hands-on session, as you will get a concrete understanding of how the dough should feel like as opposed to reading the recipe and trying to visualise.

Here are the recipes by Chef Theo Kalogeracos. (I apologise for not taking many pictures of the process, as I was too busy working hands-on. :) It was so much fun!)

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
- 1kg strong baker’s flour (plain flour with the highest protein level available)
- 10g salt
- 10g sugar
- 20g dry instant yeast
- 600ml cold water

Method:
Making dough by hand
1. Always set out the ingredients and equipment required before getting underway.
2. The water temperature is very important. Never add warm water to the flour as it will activate the yeast too quickly and affect the end result. If it’s a hot day, using cold water from the refrigerator is a good idea for this very reason.
3. The dough can be mixed in a large bowl or directly on the bench top. Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together and creating a well in the centre.
4. Carefully pour 600ml of water into the well and gradually incorporate the wet and dry ingredients by gently moving the water into the flour mixture. It will take three or four minutes for the dough to come together.
5. The remaining 50ml or 60ml of water is only added if necessary and this depends on the nature of the flour. The gluten content of the flour affects the amount of water required, so it’s always better to start with less and add more when needed than to have a dough that is too wet and sticky.
6. Kneading dough is a great skill and can only be learned with practice. The purpose of the process is to develop the gluten strains in the flour, so when the dough goes into the oven and rises, the gluten will help the base to hold its shape. This means each slice of pizza will stay quite rigid and stop the toppings from sliding off.
7. The kneading process involves a consistent movement of the palms and heels of the hands, pressing down and away from the body and turning the ball of dough clockwise after every pass. If 1 kg of dough is too difficult to manage, it should be cut in half and worked in two batches.
8. Don’t be put off by the task. Think of it as a good workout for your muscles!
9. The aim is to achieve a small ball of dough after 10 minutes of kneading. However, avoid watching the clock, and try to develop a feel for what is right.

King Prawns & Prosciutto Pizza

Ingredients:
- 90g mozzarella, grated
- 1 x 200g Basic Pizza Dough ball, rolled and ready
- 140g raw peeled prawns, marinated in teaspoon of Basil Pesto and a pinch of cracked black pepper.
- 30g prosciutto, sliced
- 1 ½ tbs White Cream Sauce (recipe below)
- salt and cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
- 3 lemon wedges

Method:
1. Clean and marinate the prawns. To clean, hold the prawn tail in one hand and use the other to rip off its head. Peel the shell on the tail away from the flesh. Make a cut with a sharp knife down the back of the tail, exposing the prawn’s ‘trail’ (gut), which must be removed before cooking. Wash the prawn in clean running water and pat the flesh completely dry with a paper towel before marinating.
2. Preheat oven to 250°C for 25 minutes.
3. Spread mozzarella around pizza base, with more at the outer edges than the centre.
4. Place the marinated prawns at evenly spaced intervals around the pizza. Wrap the prawns with a slice of prosciutto to protect them from overcooking.
5. Drizzle with White Cream Sauce.
6. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes at 250°C.
7. Remove from the oven, cut into slices
8. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
9. Garnish with freshly chopped chives and serve with lemon wedges.

If you’re using the Pizza Perfector, all you need to do is place the pizza on a round metal pan, and into the appliance, where the timer will beep when your pizza is ready. The little ‘window’ allows you to peep at the baking process, to make sure the pizza doesn’t overcook.

White Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
- 50g butter
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup onion, very finely chopped
- 250g fresh cream
- 250ml sour cream
- Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Melt butter together with oil in a non-stick saucepan.
2. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
3. Add fresh cream and sour cream and season with pepper and salt.
4. Once the liquid reaches boiling point, turn off the heat and transfer the sauce to a bowl or a squeezie bottle.
5. When cool, place in refrigerator for 24 hours, by which time it should have formed a soft custard consistency. The sauce must always be cold when placed on a pizza, otherwise it will sink straight to the bawe and make the pizza soggy.

Caramello Sam Pizza

Ingredients:
- 2tbs custard (recipe below)
- 200g Basic Pizza Dough Ball, rolled and ready
- 35g raw brown sugar
- 15g raw peanuts, crushed
- 10g slivered almonds
- 10g raw macadamia nuts, crushed
- 100g fresh bananas, sliced
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 250°C for 25 minutes.
2. Spread the custard evenly on the pizza base.
3. Top with raw sugar, nuts and banana slices.
4. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes at 250°C.
5. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and drizzle with caramel sauce. Cut into slices and serve.

Custard

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp custard powder
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 125ml milk
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

Method:
1. Whisk the custard powder and sugar with milk in a small bowl and then transfer to a small heavy-based saucepan.
2. Place on low heat and stir until the custard starts to boil and thicken. Remove from the heat and add vanilla bean paste.
3. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely before spreading on a pizza base. The custard can be made in advance, placed in a sealed container and stored in the fridge for up to seven days.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
- 300ml fresh cream
- 250g caster sugar
- 70g butter

Method:
1. Combine half the cream with all the sugar and butter in a heavy-based saucepan and place over medium heat. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring continuously until smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining cream. If the sauce is too runny, place back on a low flame and stir until you have a nice thick but still runny sauce. the sauce can be stored for up to seven days in the fridge.

His dexterity is a clear indication of vast experience. So glad I had this opportunity to learn from the pizza master! Thank you FoodNews for the invite and ToTT for the enriching session.