Traditions are fun, aren't they? There is something special about doing things just because that is how they have always been done. People have traditions for everything, ranging from family reunions (Hakes Olympics; the best and most hilarious game and food-filled family get-together on the lake), to Christmas and 4th of July traditions. There are so many things that we look forward to in an event simply because it is our moment; something we find comfort and identity in.
Valentine's Day has its own tradition in our household. It started when Kyle and I lived an hour apart and were doing that "long-distance" thing. Because there was driving involved to get to Kyle, he and I decided that making dinner ourselves and having an evening in would be much more fun than spending more time in the car. He and I like to cook together too, so having a cooking-date for our first Valentine's Day together sounded like fun without the stress of going out on the one night most couples go out for dinner. Neither of us remember how or why we decided on making homemade pizza, but I brought my pizza crust recipe with me and we ended up making a Thai Chili Chicken Pizza with peanut sauce, shredded carrots, chicken, peppers, green onion, cilantro...That pizza is a keeper...The next year, we did homemade pizza again. And this year, we decided that we had to do pizza again, for tradition's sake.
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| Bread Basics: flour, salt, yeast. |
I have done many pizza crust recipes in my kitchen time. My sourdough crust was my favorite. Bubbly, chewy, awesome flavor...But I decided to try a new one. There was a recipe from Bon Appetit that I had been wanting to try, and after making it, we have decided that it is a must-keep-and-repeat recipe. Bubbly, chewy, light, and cooks fast to give a crisp outside and creamy inside. And leftovers the next day were just as good (having a crust that holds up in the fridge for cold pizza is key for me).
Pizza toppings are fun to brainstorm and put together. So many flavor combinations are possible! Whenever we make pizza, Kyle tops one and I top one. They always turn out so differently and it never gets boring! I got my topping idea from one of David Leibowitz's blog posts and topped my pizza with garlic olive oil for a base, roasted red potatoes, caramelized onions with thyme, local blue cheese, and a little local mozzarella to help it all stick. Mmm. Kyle did a delicious German-inspired pizza that had sausage, apples, shallot, sauerkraut, red jalapeno, fresh mozzarella on a spicy herbed red sauce that he threw together.
We had a delicious salad with strawberries, warm bread cheese, walnuts, and a sweet balsamic dressing, sipped on one of my favorite wines and had a movie night.
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| Onions with Thyme |
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| Roasted Taters |
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| Local Cheeses |
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| Kyle's Kraut with Apple, Shallot, Bay |
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| Mmm...Red Sauce |
Bubbly Pizza Crust (adapted from Bon Appetit)
450g Organic All-Purpose Flour
50g Organic Whole Wheat Flour
2tsp Kosher Salt
1/4tsp Dry Active Yeast
Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. While Stirring, gradually add 1 1/2 c room-temperature water. Mix gently with hands until dough comes together and forms a ball. Place in a clean bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about 18 hours at room temperature, until it has more than doubled in size and has small bubbles covering the surface. NOTE: Time will vary depending on room temperature, water temperature, etc.
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| I love my Swedish Dough hook. |
Dump the dough out onto a floured surface. Flatten into a rectangle and divide into 2 equal portions. With each piece of dough, flatten into a rectangle and fold all four corners into the center. Turn over so it is seam-side-down and form into a ball. Set aside and allow to rest covered for about an hour. Half-an-hour in to the rest period, preheat oven and baking stone to 500-550〫F (hottest setting).
Shaping and Baking: Dust dough and pizza peel generously with flour. Gently stretch dough balls to 12-14" rounds. Top with whatever delicious toppings you want and slide into the oven. Once the pizza is in the oven, turn oven to broil. Bake until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn oven back to the highest setting and allow the oven to re-heat before the next pizza is put in. NOTE: if you are using meat, be sure it is pre-cooked as the bake time is fairly short.
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| Mmm. I only wish my oven got a little hotter so I would have gotten darker bubble spots on my crust. |
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| Airy crust is made from a wet dough and minimal handling. |
Aside from being delicious, this crust was simple to put together. Perfect for a pizza party! Make the dough ahead of time (recipe easily doubles), portion the dough out for individual pizzas, wrap the dough in plastic and pop in the fridge (allow to sit at room temp for 2-3 hours before shaping). Have an assortment of pizza toppings and sauces, and let the creations begin! People will be impressed with your "better than the Italian pizzaria" crust and they will love topping their own pizza they way they want it!
I have a problem with NOT making my own pizza crust. It really is simple, and much cheaper than buying pre-made crusts or the pre-packaged dough mixes with all of the mono-whatnots to help preserve them. All it takes is a little forethought and a few minutes spent a day or two before your pizza night. Totally worth it.
Here is to another year of traditions, making new traditions, and trying new things.
Remember to show and spread the love, be it through a piece of pizza, chocolate, or a smile.
Cheers!
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