Weekend Plate: A Day Long Process

We were at the point in my kitchen where we needed to go grocery shopping, unless we wanted to spend the weekend sharing ten almonds. We were out of the basic starches…no bread or pasta. But, we had flour, yeast, and a yearning for gluten and so the process began.

Today was the day I decided to make my first pizza dough, and it was surprisingly easy. Many times we find ourselves stuck in the realm of ‘pre-made’. We didn’t have pizza crust, so I found a recipe and did it myself. Part of the joy of the Internet is access to hundreds of variations of a single item. I chose a standard one and added whole-wheat flour.

Pizza dough is a great way to start your bread-baking hobby. It starts off like any other leavened bread with liquid plus yeast that you let bloom. Add flour, knead, and let it rise. While the process is basic and not too difficult, it is rather time consuming. You have to be patient; this isn’t something to rush…yet I chose to do it between my Microbiology class and Community Nutrition.  Is it bad to be almost tardy because you were baking?

The product was delicious, but it has room for improvement. Next time, I will add dried herbs or olives to the crust. Additionally, I’ll be trying out more shapes; remember you can make the crust into whatever you want, be it personal pan, thin crust, deep dish, or even heart shaped. Topping wise you can make it a white pizza or load it up with broccoli, turkey bacon, artichokes, and peppers like I did. A word of warning: the first pizza will have flaws. It just will. Unless you were born into a dynasty of pizza crafters, you need practice. Invite your neighbors over for a craft your own pizza night to rehearse!