A Quiet Little Life

It occurs to me that I cook... a ton.  I quite literally spend most of my day, every day, in the kitchen.  And, after years of people asking me for recipes, many of which I came up with myself, I decided I should probably start sharing a few here.  I keep thinking, for some reason, that the purpose of this blog is sewing, but that's not really true, is it?  That just happens to be my favorite part, however much I don't actually get to it because I'm busy with lesser favorite parts... 

Today, it'll be my go-to pizza crust recipe.  Adapted from something on allrecipes.com, this is AWESOME for pizza, calzones, and I'm about to try it for this:  http://rhodesbread.com/blog/blog/braided-spaghetti-bread.
I am entirely certain that it will be fantastic for that, as well.  I use it at least once/wk, and anybody who's ever tried it has LOVED it!  It's the reason we don't get take-out or restaurant pizza anymore.

Pizza Crust

1T yeast (or 1 pkg)

1c warm water (warm, but not burning your finger)

1t sugar

2T oil

1t salt

3c flour*

Proof your yeast with the water and sugar (mix it with the sugar and water and let it foam to prove itself worthy of your time).  Add salt, flour, and oil.  Mix and knead (a stand mixer is a god-send for time-saving here) until it forms a ball.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.  Knead all bubbles out and form a 14" diameter circle (a large pizza).  Top.  If you want a thick, puffy crust, let it rise until it looks thick to you.  Otherwise, bake it in a 425F degree oven for 12-15 minutes. 

You can top this crust however you like, and it's awesome.  Top half of it generously, leaving about an inch around the edge, fold it over, and crimp it with your fingers for calzones (I keep these in the freezer for Hubby when he doesn't have leftovers to take to work).  Spread olive oil, herbs, and cheese over it for cheesy bread.  There are TONS of options here!

*For the flour, you have a variety of choices.  It really depends on how you like your crust.  For ultra-puffy and soft, go 3c all-purpose flour.  For very puffy and soft but healthier, try half white whole wheat flour and half AP.  For a little tougher but a lot healthier, try half regular whole wheat.  I have recently made it all white whole wheat, which got great reviews.  We are trying to make the switch to at least all white whole wheat flour--and I have to be honest here, it's only because I'm not entirely sure of the details of the white whole wheat vs. regular whole wheat.  More on that later, I'm sure, as I navigate these finicky-term-infested waters!

Let me know how it goes, if you whip this one out.  Especially if you find a new dress-up for it.  :)