Pizza to go!

Last night was another night of using up scraps.  We had some bolognese sauce left over from the kids dinner and some salami left over from when my mother and sister visited yesterday.  Couple those ingredients with half a lollo rosso and only one thing sprang to mind - pizza.

The pizza base is still a work in progress item, but I seem to be experimenting with a mix of 30% wholemeal and 70% plain flour.  The recipe for my pizza base can be found http://swlsk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/fast-food-pizza-potato-and-pepperoni.html

So, I made two pizza's, one kind of like a "Sloppy Giuseppe" should you be familiar with a certain chain of restaurants, and the other a simple tomato, onion, sweetcorn and salami affair.  Here they are before cooking:

Pizza must accompany something.  I find that, on it's own it can be rather one dimensional.  Even if you serve it with some coleslaw, or perhaps some sauerkraut it really perks the flavours up.  The crunch of the vegetables against the crunch of the crust and yielding toppings is a great melange of texture.


In this instance I used up the rest of my lettuce and carrot.  Freshly grated carrot is fast becoming my favourite salad accessory.  Indeed, a salad of exclusively finely grated carrots is amazing when offset with a punchy dressing - something I learned from my travels in Scandinavia.

I am undecided if I should par-bake the base of the pizza in the oven first then add the toppings.  I find myself watching "Diners, Drive-in's and Dives" on Food Network quite often, and last night one of the establishments did this. I think it is worth experimenting with a small pizza to see if this negates the possibility of soggy middle.


In an effort to prevent the middle from being a little soggy sometimes I overcompensate and end up with slightly frazzled edges.  

They were both tasty, and we have half remaining.  This will be cherished by my 4 year old tonight who reserves a special place in his stomach for such delicacies as pizza, sausages and casserole (not all eaten at the same time, though!).

Fast Food - Pizza

Potato and Pepperoni Pizza

No!  I did not order a pizza last night.  Why anyone would want to buy a pizza from the supermarket, or to order one from a local delivery service is beyond me.  With just a few ingredients you can have a much tastier, healthier (have you any idea how much salt they put in those things?) and in many cases quicker meal than if you had picked up the telephone.

There are many things that revolve around in my head when I am trying to get to sleep.  Quite often it is Keira Knightley.  One, more tangible icon, though, is a wood-fired oven.  I would love to have one of those cocoon-shaped brick ovens in my back garden, where it is possible to conjour up impressive breads and pizza's.  Maybe one day, when we have a large enough garden I will treat myself to one of these luxuries (along with the wine cellar, tandoor and inflatable film star).

A quick reconnaissance of the fridge revealed a rather disappointing paucity of pizza toppings - salami and a potato.  Here's how to make the dough:

•   I never measure out the flour, which in last night's case was strong Canadian bread flour.  I imagine it was about 300-350g.  
•   I added a small pinch of sea salt.
•   In a jug I added about 200ml of warm water and a nearly full teaspoon of quick yeast.
•   I slowly add the water and mix with my solitary index finger (to roughly resemble the action of a dough hook) until I have a ball of pizza dough.  It should be pliant and slightly sticky.
•   Flour a clean work surface and kneed it for 5-10 minutes until it is soft, stretchy and no longer sticky.
•   Place in a bowl and leave for 30 minutes.
•   Knock it back and split into two.  Roll each ball into an amorphous pizza shape, the dough should be 4-5mm thick.

  
There are two ways to make a tomato sauce.  The quick way, and the not-so-quick way.  Today is the quick way:

•   I had 3/4 of a can of peeled plum tomatoes left over.  I put them into a mini-blender.
•   Add a squidge of tomato ketchup.
•   Blend to a smooth paste!

I'm sure you don't need me how to tell you how to put tomato sauce, or toppings onto a pizza.  The potato, however was sliced razor thin using a vegetable peeler, and the cheese I used was a combination of tasteless cheap cheddar and salty pecorino.

It takes about 10 minutes in the oven at 180C (fan assisted).  It will be crispy around the edges, but perfectly cooked in the centre.

  

 

A wholemeal in one.

I think, on average I make some kind of bread at least once a week.  I made a bit of a booboo in the supermarket earlier this week when I attempted to refuel the flour situation in our cupboard.  I managed to buy wholemeal flour instead of regular white.  Now this in itself is not an epic failure, but its difficult to make flatbreads and pizza with.

Last night my hunger overcame me, and I really needed to eat something, so I checked the fridge situation:  olives, pancetta, rocket and cheese.  This screamed pizza at me, but armed with only wholemeal flour I winced at the prospect.

A few more grumbles from my stomach got the brain working - surely a wholemeal pizza base would work, wouldn't it?

Let's get a few things out the way first though.  I am rather pedantic about my pizza:

• Pizza should never, ever have any kind of stuffed crust.
• The crust should never be "deep-pan", it should be thin, crispy and light.
• Pineapple should be contraindicated as far as pizza is concerned.
• There are no decent pizza take-away companies.  I do, however, like a pizza express.
• Toppings should be minimal.  8 toppings on a pizza is quite frankly a mess.
• A decent tomato sauce makes, or breaks a pizza.

I do have one unanswered question though.  Everyone knows mozzarella is the standard issue cheese for pizza, but should one use buffalo mozzarella?  One antagonist school of thought hypothesizes that buffalo mozzarella is too watery and will make your pizza soggy.  Another protagonist school of thought seems to think that pizza should _only_ be made with buffalo mozzarella.  I am undecided.

Anyway, I made a wholemeal flour pizza base and it turned out rather well.

 
Ok, I made the perimeter crust a bit too thick, but apart from that it was actually quite tasty.  Admittedly the base is a little denser than if I used white flour, but it actually tasted of something.

The below recipe can be used with either white, or wholemeal flour - I will leave that decision to your very good discretion:

•   Around 400g of flour will make a pizza for 2 (or one hungry person).
•   I don't bother sieving it.  Straight into a bowl add some finely ground sea salt (about half a tsp).
•   About 150ml of warm water should be combined with 3/4 tsp of easy to use yeast granules.  Add them to the mix. 
•   I stir the dough using one index finger, trying to replicate a dough hook attachment.  When it forms into a ball add a few good glugs of decent extra virgin olive oil.  You need to use your nonce here to evaluate how much water is needed.  The dough should not be sticky, more silky and soft.  Too dry and then you won't be able to manipulate it.
•   Lightly flour a work surface and kneed the dough for around 10 minutes until it is light and pliable (if you are using wholemeal the dough might be not quite as stretchy).
•   Turn it into a ball and put it back in the bowl.  Clingfilm the top (or a damp teacloth will suffice).  Leave to prove somewhere warm for 45-60 mins.
•   By this time it should have nearly doubled in size.  Knock it down, on a floured surface and roll-out (our use your knuckles to stretch if you feel a bit tasty) into your desired pizza shape and thickness.

I served this pizza with a rocket salad dressed with olive oil and a perky cider vinegar dressing.