Why I Oughta...

I'm not *exactly* sure how I recently came across this new (to me) pizza style, but it sure has my attention.  What style is that?  I suppose the widest birth name-wise I can give it is: Sfincione.  It is a version (most often) of something similar to a Sicilian or Grandma pizza.  Tweaked.  Kenji @ Serious Eats has done his thing with it and calls it "New Years Pizza" .  It is characterized by a light, hole-filled dough that is crisp/fried on the bottom.  Sauce on top.  And...finished with the crunch of breadcrumbs.  That recipe is, however, NOT where I started on this pizza journey rabbit hole.  Nope.  It was earlier this year when I read that a pizza pop-up from Nashville (of all places) was coming to town to participate in a Chicago pizza festival.  That place is St. Vito Focacceria.   Well...that's interesting, I thought.   I didn't attend said fest. But, I've been sitting on this Instagram po...

Look what the Easter Bunny brought me:  Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson the owner of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco .  My brother-in-law has the caught the bread bug (more than I have) and has tried (at least) one of the recipes from this place and said it was spectacular.  Can't wait to wake the starter later this week and give some of these a shot. Of course, I couldn't help myself and I immediately thumbed to the index and looked up the "p's".  Found a few listings for pizza.  Interesting that he kind of mocks the pizza craze and that it seems his dough recipe for pizza skins is just his country bread recipe. Of course, I loved everything I got (more haul posts later), but I have to note: the most thoughtful gift the Easter Bunny gave me was a set of paint brushes and paints as well as a notebook.  We were just talking the other week about painting and how I enjoyed it back in my early 20's.  She was paying attention - as great friends do!

At least that's what I *think* happened.  Unless we have a ghost who comes in and drops my culture jars on their edges just for fun. Earlier this week, I grabbed my sourdough culture jars out of the fridge and I tried to wake them up.  I wanted to bake some bread for Easter this weekend, and figured it was going to take a few cycles of feeding them to fully get them activated because it'd been about 2 months since I touched them.  The good news?  They woke right up.  A few feedings in, I had a fully alive culture and a bubbling jar. The bad news?  I forgot to open the jars and dump out a bunch of the culture one evening.  We went to bed and woke up to the strong stink of yeast in our kitchen.  And one of my jars was surprisingly low in terms of contents.   When I picked it up, it dripped.  Turns out, the bottom busted out.  I can only guess that this was a weak spot in the jar and the pressure was too great.  In the...

After a successful first attempt in baking bread (Pane Cafone) from my starter, I opted to take on bigger challenge:  sourdough baguettes. Using this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini as inspiration , I undertook the two-day process.  For a first-time baguette shaper and baker, I think they turned out pretty good (aside from that one bent one!). And...they tasted, good, too!  I also took another shot at the round Pane Cafone and that baked a bit better the second time, too! Sourdough Baguettes (nets 4 demi-loaves) 200 grams (7 ounces) ripe starter 600 grams (21 ounces) flour(s) 400 grams (14 ounces) water 10 grams (2 teaspoons) salt 1. In stand mixer, combine flours, water, and starter - let stand for 20 minutes. Then, add salt and knead dough on low for 5 minutes. 2. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour. After an hour, fold dough on itself. Wait an hour. Then fold it over on itself again. After those 2 hours, stick a ...

With a healthy sourdough starter, I figured I should dive right in and bake some bread.  My first attempt was one of the more simple breads:  Pane Cafone.  Turned out pretty good for a first attempt.  Pane Cafone (Country Man's bread) - Produces One Round Loaf 1 Cup Starter 3.5 Cups 00 Flour 1 Cup Water 2 teaspoons salt 1.  Knead starter, flour and water for 5 minutes and let autolyse (have flour absorb water before salt has time to draw it in).  Mix in salt and knead for 2 more minutes.  2.  Cover bowl and proof for 8-12 hours at room temperature.  3.  Punch down and form round loaf without slashing the top.  Proof for 2-4 hours.  4.  Pre-heat your baking stone at 450 for 30-45 minutes. 5.  Bake on pre-heated stone at 450 for 15 minutes. 6.  Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 45 minutes.  Turning once or twice.  7.  Cool on wire rack. Here's my round dough loaf a...