pi day (observed) part 2
Sorry, before I had a chance to post again, I got a dinner invitation. The Hubby was over helping his friend paint the nursery for their impending baby (3 weeks!). He texted me to see if I wanted him to come pick me up and have dinner/watch a movie with the painting crew. Oh, and what did I want for dinner that serves 4 hungry people: 1 pregnant, 2 lactose intolerant, 1 vegetarian, and 1 omnivorous veggie-tolerator. Thai take out, it was. Yum.
So another kind of pie!
Back to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Olive oil bread dough makes delicious pizza crust. Normally, I am a thin crust girl, and I was not converted. However, it was tasty, and the other eater in the house (a crust fiend, by the way) very much enjoyed it. I made it part whole-wheat and mixed in some fresh rosemary and parsley. Yum.
The trick for me is baking the crust before adding the toppings. We have no pizza stone, so trying to bake both at once results in soggy crust and crispy cheese. After brushing the crust with olive oil and pricking it generously with a fork to prevent bubbles, pop the crust into the oven for 5-10 minutes. It shouldn't brown, because you still have to bake it with toppings and you don't want it to dry out. This one was topped with roasted eggplant, caramelized onions, garlic, kalamata olives, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
You can see the side view of the crust here. It's an overnight recipe, but pretty easy to mix up and takes less hands-on time than my Peter Reinhart thin crust.
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Makes four 1-pound loaves of bread or 4 medium pizzas.
2 ¾ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tablespoons yeast
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1.) Mix yeast, salt, sugar, oil and water in a 5-quart bowl or (not air-tight) lidded container - I make a half-recipe in an ice cream bucket.
2.) Use a spoon or a stand mixer with dough hook to stir in the flour. You may need to use wet hands to incorporate all the flour in you are not using a mixer.
3.) Don't knead! Cover dough loosely and allow to rest at room temperature about 2 hours or until dough rises and flattens on top.
4.) Dough can be baked now, but it is easier to handle after being refrigerated. Refrigerate in a lidded container (not air-tight) and use within 12 days.
5.) Preheat oven at highest temperature (500F or 550F) with a baking stone or baking sheet. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour to combat sticking to your hands and use a serrated knife to cut off a grapefruit-sized piece. Quickly shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface around to the bottom.
6.) Sprinkling with flour as needed, flatten the dough with your fingers and/or a rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick. You may need to let the dough rest for a few minutes to "relax."
7.) Sprinkle a pizza peel liberally with cornmeal. Place the rolled-out dough onto the cornmeal-dusted peel and prick generously with a fork. Slide the dough onto the preheated baking stone or pan when the oven is hot. Bake 5-7 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 450F.
8.) Spread sauce, toppings, and cheese in a thin, even layer on the crust. Be careful not to mound toppings in the middle. Carefully slide the pizza back into the oven and bake 7-10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown. Rotate partway through if it is browning unevenly. Baking times will vary based on size and thickness of the pizza crust and toppings.-------------------------------------------------
We try not to go overboard with toppings (especially on thin crust), and some of our best homemade pizzas have been the simplest - garlic, tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Another favorite is garlic, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, then topped with arugula and balsamic vinegar after it's out of the oven. Yummm.
What are your favorite pizza toppings?
So another kind of pie!
Back to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Olive oil bread dough makes delicious pizza crust. Normally, I am a thin crust girl, and I was not converted. However, it was tasty, and the other eater in the house (a crust fiend, by the way) very much enjoyed it. I made it part whole-wheat and mixed in some fresh rosemary and parsley. Yum.
The trick for me is baking the crust before adding the toppings. We have no pizza stone, so trying to bake both at once results in soggy crust and crispy cheese. After brushing the crust with olive oil and pricking it generously with a fork to prevent bubbles, pop the crust into the oven for 5-10 minutes. It shouldn't brown, because you still have to bake it with toppings and you don't want it to dry out. This one was topped with roasted eggplant, caramelized onions, garlic, kalamata olives, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
You can see the side view of the crust here. It's an overnight recipe, but pretty easy to mix up and takes less hands-on time than my Peter Reinhart thin crust.
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Makes four 1-pound loaves of bread or 4 medium pizzas.
2 ¾ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tablespoons yeast
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1.) Mix yeast, salt, sugar, oil and water in a 5-quart bowl or (not air-tight) lidded container - I make a half-recipe in an ice cream bucket.
2.) Use a spoon or a stand mixer with dough hook to stir in the flour. You may need to use wet hands to incorporate all the flour in you are not using a mixer.
3.) Don't knead! Cover dough loosely and allow to rest at room temperature about 2 hours or until dough rises and flattens on top.
4.) Dough can be baked now, but it is easier to handle after being refrigerated. Refrigerate in a lidded container (not air-tight) and use within 12 days.
5.) Preheat oven at highest temperature (500F or 550F) with a baking stone or baking sheet. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour to combat sticking to your hands and use a serrated knife to cut off a grapefruit-sized piece. Quickly shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface around to the bottom.
6.) Sprinkling with flour as needed, flatten the dough with your fingers and/or a rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick. You may need to let the dough rest for a few minutes to "relax."
7.) Sprinkle a pizza peel liberally with cornmeal. Place the rolled-out dough onto the cornmeal-dusted peel and prick generously with a fork. Slide the dough onto the preheated baking stone or pan when the oven is hot. Bake 5-7 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 450F.
8.) Spread sauce, toppings, and cheese in a thin, even layer on the crust. Be careful not to mound toppings in the middle. Carefully slide the pizza back into the oven and bake 7-10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown. Rotate partway through if it is browning unevenly. Baking times will vary based on size and thickness of the pizza crust and toppings.-------------------------------------------------
We try not to go overboard with toppings (especially on thin crust), and some of our best homemade pizzas have been the simplest - garlic, tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Another favorite is garlic, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, then topped with arugula and balsamic vinegar after it's out of the oven. Yummm.
What are your favorite pizza toppings?