Posts in Category: Foundation Series
Thin Crust Pizza Dough
Timeline: 1:15
Once I figured out how to spread out a thin crust pizza dough, The Thin Crust Pizza Silver Bullet, I worked on finding a dough recipe I liked. This recipe is for thin crust. Yes it does involve kneading but the amount of dough is small so it is not hard to do with your hands. This way also you can feel the dough and when it is ready.
This recipe is for enough to make two 12″ pizzas. I place the extra dough in a plastic bag in the fridge. You can use it the next day or freeze for longer storage. Just permit to thaw before using it.
Dressing the pizza is another topic. I’ll do a post on that soon.
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- 1. Roll between lightly greased sheets
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- 2. Remove top sheet
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- Ready for the oven
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- Finished pizza
- ¾ cup (175 g) Water - Lukewarm
- 1½ tsp (5 g) Yeast
- 2 cup (250 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Sea Salt
- 3 TBSP (35 g) Olive Oil
- 2 pieces about 15x15” - Parchment paper
- For parchment paper - Non-stick spray or vegetable oil
- In a large bowl whisk warm water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. I find adding a touch of honey or sugar helps.
- In a medium bowl whisk dry ingredients.
- Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture.
- Add the flour mixture to the water/yeast mixture, mixing with a large wooden spoon.
- The dough should be slightly sticky. If too sticky, add some flour.
- Lightly flour your counter and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Place in a large greased bowl such as the bowl the flour was measured in.
- Cling wrap.
- Ferment: Let doough rise for 30 minutes.
- Part way through rise, heat oven to 450°F/230°C/Gas 8 - Hot with a pizza stone or steel cookie sheet on the bottom rack. A stone or sheet is not required but does help. The oven should heat up for about 30 minutes.
- Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal parts. You can make 2 pizzas or place one in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
- Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of greased parchment paper.
- Optional Proof: If you want a thicker crust, let the dough rise for up to 10 minutes. You can have dough from cracker thin with no proof to about ¼" (1/2 cm) with a full proof.
- Remove the top parchment sheet. It peels off easily.
- Dress the dough with your favourite sauce and toppings.
- Leaving the pizza on the parchment paper, bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven, slide off the paper and serve
Batter Up – What is a Batter?
The older I get, the more I realize two things: time is precious, and homemade is superior to store bought. Reconciling the two can be a challenge.
I was thinking about my baking recently and realized my passion has moved from dough to batter. Baking with batter has several attractions for me. First, start-to-eat is often as short as 15 minutes. Second is portion control. As our kids are grown and on their own, all of my batter recipes have a 2-portion version and a 4-portion for families. The third attraction is that it requires only low-cost tools and machines. Basics include bowls, a scale, measuring spoons, whisk, measuring cup, spatulas, waffle maker and a griddle.
Simple Milk Pancakes
My third waffle to pancake recipe is Simple Milk Pancakes based on my Simple Milk Waffles. Like that recipe, this is a foundation recipe to me. It is what I build others from. This is a light fluffy pancake. I prefer the Lemon Milk Pancakes. Mainly I use this as a foundation recipe to build on when I don’t want to add an acid.
In the Oat Gluten-Free Lemon Milk Pancakes recipe, I explain how I convert a waffle to a pancake recipe.
Lemon Milk Pancakes
My second waffle to pancake recipe is Lemon Milk Pancakes based on my Lemon Milk Waffles. Like that recipe, this is a foundation recipe to me. It is what I build others from.
Lemon Milk Pancakes use lemon juice and baking soda to build on the baking powder leaven. I love the hint of lemon the juice adds.
Lemon Milk Waffles
Lemon Milk Waffles are by far my favourite waffle. They originated as a way to make buttermilk waffles without buttermilk. A common substitute for buttermilk is milk mixed with an acid such as lemon or lime juice or vinegar. Lime juice instead of lemon works well but leaves no taste. Lemon leaves a hint in the waffles that compliments a sweet waffle. I was also intrigued by a King Arthur Flour tip on taming whole wheat.
If you or your family are very sensitive to whole wheat’s sometimes assertive flavour, try substituting 2 tablespoons orange juice for 2 tablespoons of the milk in this recipe. The OJ tames whole wheat’s potentially tannic taste, without adding any citrus flavour of its own.
www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/whole-wheat-waffles-recipe
Almost all of my recipes build on this Lemon Milk recipe. It is my waffle foundation recipe.
Simple Milk Waffle
I live on a working maple syrup farm so waffles are a staple with us. I get asked “why waffles?” Well, they are a type of bread. Like bread they fall into two camps based on the type of leaven, i.e. what makes them rise: yeast or soda. Waffles are similar to soda breads in that they use soft flour and baking soda/powder. Belgian waffles are historically made with soft flour and yeast. Hard flour, common in bread, is never used. You want a more cake like consistency. For me, all of the bread chemistry applies to waffles so I feel right at home.
I love simple recipes, building blocks for a foundation of baking. These are the basics that have the core ingredients and steps. Learn the foundations, then build upon them. This recipe is the most basic scratch waffle. All you need are medium and large bowls, measuring spoons, measuring cups, a whisk and a waffle maker. From the start to your first baked waffle is under 20 minutes and a whole recipe is done in under an hour.
Quick and Easy Soda Bread
Timeline 1:00
First of the Foundation Series
Want to bake your first loaf of bread? Make this soda bread just before supper for a toasty accompaniment that features a soft, chewy crumb and crunchy crust. Bake a loaf in under an hour with a bowl, measuring spoons and cups, and a baking sheet or pie pan. No mixer needed – the only tool is your hands. This recipe can be made with buttermilk, regular, or even almond milk to create a vegan loaf. Enhance this recipe by adding seeds or dried fruit for interest.