David's Pizza Dough and Tomato Sauce

This post is for you Melissa, and the other chicks who like pizza!

David's Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 cup wrist temperature water
1 scant tablespoon (or 1 packet) dry yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (I use unbleached white bread flour and whole wheat flour combined)

1. In a large mixing bowl, blend the warm water with the yeast.  Let sit for a few minutes until it starts to bud.
2. Mix together the olive or canola oil with the honey and salt in a small bowl. Really mix well until combined.
3. Add the oil/honey/salt mixture to the large bowl of water and yeast, and blend well.
4. Add the flour a little bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.  When the mixture starts to become a dough ball, sprinkle some of the remaining flour on a clean, flat surface and knead the additional flour into the dough ball.
5. When the dough ball can no longer take any additional flour, continue kneading for 5-10 minutes.  When the dough ball is the consistency of an ear lobe when pinched, it is ready to set aside for rising.
6. In a clean mixing bowl, pour a tablespoon of oil and gently rock the bowl until the oil evenly covers the bottom of the bowl.
7. Set the dough ball into the bowl, then turn it rapidly so that both sides are oiled. 
8. Place a plate over the top of the bowl and set in a warm (80 degree) oven  or other warm place for 45 minutes.  It should be risen to double its original size, if not, leave it in the oven a little bit longer.
9. Punch down the dough and roll it onto your floured surface.  Knead for another 5-10 minutes.  
10. With a rolling pin or stretching it carefully by hand, flatten and shape the dough to the size of your pizza sheet or a cookie sheet.  The dough should be very thin.
11. Place the dough onto the sheet and turn up the edges all around so that the tomato sauce and cheese won't drip outside the edge.
12. Fill the pizza with your favorite toppings, sauce, and cheese.
13. Bake in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the dough is fully baked.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1  6-oz. can tomato paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1  28-oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

Italian seasonings: Oregano, Basil, Parsley

Black pepper or red pepper flakes

1/4 cup red wine (optional)

1. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the tomato paste and brown sugar.  Cook on medium heat until it starts to sizzle.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes or tomato puree, Italian seasonings, and pepper.  You can also add the red wine at this step, if you wish.
3. Stir until well-blended, bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for an hour, or until the sauce has thickened.

Kasha Bread

These two round, smooth loaves are whole wheat enhanced with the nutty flavor of cooked kasha (buckwheat groats).  I used the usual recipe and technique but added cooked kasha to the mix.  Into 1/2 cup boiling water I added 1/4 cup kasha and let it simmer, covered, until all the water was absorbed - about 10 minutes.  I let the kasha cool while the sponge was rising, then mixed the kasha into the oil, egg, salt, and honey mixture.  Then combined the mix with the sponge, added more flour, and let it rise once in the bowl, and again once the loaves were formed.  I baked them on pizza stones in 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Cranberry-Carrot-Walnut Bread

Cranberries, carrots, and nuts complement each other in this dense, hearty bread.  I used a bread technique from Rose Levy-Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible.  This recipe makes two loaves of bread.

Sponge
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 2/3 cups warm water

Mix together the ingredients for the sponge in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Fruit and Nuts
1 cup cranberries (frozen or fresh)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup walnuts

Grate the above ingredients in a food processor until evenly ground.  Add them to the sponge and blend well.  Set the bowl aside while you blend together the following ingredients in a separate bowl:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt

Pour this dry mixture on top of the sponge (no mixing - just let is sit on top of the sponge) and cover with a plate or Saran wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour at room temperature, then set the bowl in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature about half hour, then mix the contents into a dough ball and turn it out onto a floured surface for kneading.  Add more white flour until you form a tight dough ball that is not sticky.

Flour a thin, cotton towel and use it to line a large,clean mixing bowl.  Set the dough ball into it.  Cover with a plate or Saran wrap.  Let rise for an hour at room temperature.

Remove from the towel onto the floured surface and flatten the ball with your hands.  Then fold it over itself in half, and in half again.  Then return it to the floured towel in the bowl.  Cover and let rise another 45 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and form two loaves.  Set the loaves into greased loaf pans.  Let them rise for 20-30 minutes in a 85 degree F oven.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 400 for another 30 minutes.  Remove and test for doneness by tapping on the bottom of the loaves.  They are done when they sound hollow upon tapping.

Winter's Day Bread

This bread recipe came to me while thinking about how to accompany a hearty bowl of soup.  It was not the coldest day of the year, but mid-February weather is cold enough to want a hot bowl of soup and warm bread for dinner.  It might also be the bread for a lunch-time tuna salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato.

Ingredients

For the sponge,
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white unbleached flour

Bud the yeast in a large mixing bowl with the warm water.  Add the two cups of flour and stir until well blended.  Cover the bowl with a tight-fitting plate or saran wrap and let rise in a warm (70 degree F) place for a few hours.  It will double in bulk and there will be air bubbles on top.

Add to the sponge,
2 1/2 cups flour blended with 1 teaspoon salt
Mix in one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.  When the dough ball starts to form, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding the remaining flour, as much as it will take. 

Line a large, clean mixing bowl with a tea towel and sprinkle it with flour.  Place the dough ball onto the towel in the bowl, sprinkle some flour on top and fold the towel over it.  Set the plate or saran wrap over it.  Place in a warm (80-85 degree F) place for an hour or until doubled in bulk. 

Roll the risen dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface.  Fold it over itself, twice.  Cut the dough in half with a sharp knife and shape into two round loaves.  Sprinkle some corn meal onto a baking sheet and set the two loaves on it.  Let it rise for about 30 minutes until nearly doubled.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  If you have baking (pizza) stones, place them in the oven while pre-heating.  Then when the oven and stones is fully heated, slide the loaves from the baking sheet onto the stones.  Alternatively, you can bake the loaves on the baking sheet.  Set the sheet in the oven when the oven has pre-heated.  With an spray bottle, spritz the loaves once you have placed them in the oven, wetting them down thoroughly, or you can throw a handful of ice cubes onto the floor of the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes until the loaves are golden brown.

Remove the loaves, test for readiness by tapping on the bottom of the loaves.  Do they sound hollow?  Yes, then they are ready; if not, set them back in the oven for 5 minutes and test them again.

Cool on a rack and wait until they have cooled somewhat before slicing.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread for Your Valentine

If your Valentine loves to start the day with chocolate, bake this quick bread for Monday morning.  Recipe makes two loaves.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
3 cups flour (you can use 1 1/2 cups each whole wheat and unbleached white flour)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (or carob powder if chocolate seems a little too much for breakfast)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl.  Add the cocoa powder or carob powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and mix thoroughly.  Add the grated zucchini and blend in completely.  Grease two loaf pans.  Divide the mixture evenly between the two loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Serve with nutella, cream cheese, or chocolate syrup!

Easiest French Bread

Following the theme and easy technique, this is a converted recipe for French baguette.  Instead of a long loaf, it produces an irregular shape but a nice, thick crust and light, moist interior.  It stands up well to butter or jam, and is perfect just by itself.

Seems like just about any bread recipe can be made simply, without much kneading, by letting it rise a long time and baking it in a super-hot covered crock or cast-iron pot.

Easiest Bread in the World!

This super-easy recipe is versatile, fuss-free, and delicious.  The basic recipe comes from "The Minimalist" column in the NY Times.  I'll bet that many a restaurant lets their bread dough rise overnight this way, then bakes it early in the afternoon so that there are always fresh, crusty loaves of bread ready for dinner.  The texture of bread baked this way is surprisingly light and airy on the inside, with a very substantial crust on the outside.  The most surprising part of this bread-baking technique is use of a covered cast iron pot, which keeps the moisture in the bread, and then you uncover it for the last part of the baking to form the thick, golden crust.  My recipe is a variation of the original.

Easiest Rye Bread in the World

1 1/2 cups water
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup coarse rye flour
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoons salt
1. In a large bowl combine  the water and yeast, and let it bud.  Add the caraway seeds, then the flour, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition.  Then add the salt and blend well.
2. Cover bowl the bowl with a tight fitting plate or plastic wrap.  Let it rise for 12- 18 hours at room temperature.  The dough will look like a sticky sponge, with lots of air holes.
3. Spoon the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it slightly, then fold it over onto itself, twice.  Place it on a floured cookie sheet and let it rise until about doubled, which may take another hour or two.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, put a heavy cast-iron pot, covered, in the oven and heat to 450 degrees.  Place the dough into the pot very carefully as it is extremely hot.  Cover the pot, place it back in the oven, and bake 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is well developed.
5. Remove the fully baked bread from the pot and set it on a rack to cool.  Then slice and enjoy!