It seems fitting that the first post in this new format (I upgraded from a self-scripted journal to a full-blown blog with comments) is about one of my favorite subjects: food.
Confession: I love cooking, I love experimenting with different flavors, and I love creating tasty concoctions from various aspects of other recipes. The problem is that I don’t have the time to do that anymore, so lately I have been resorting to the familiar, the recipes I can’t even call recipes because I have no idea how much of what goes into them. No longer do I count the spoonfuls (of various fullness), instead simply emptying the contents into a mixing bowl. Some might call that being an expert; others will consider it sloppy. It doesn’t really matter to me because I’ve never even followed a recipe exactly. There is always something I estimate, substitute, omit, add, or splice with another recipe. In essence, I use recipes as ideas, often reverse engineering my own recipes from pictures of dishes. Following parts of recipes seems to only be a lesson for a new technique or a dish completely unfamiliar to me (last time I remember doing that was when I didn’t know how to make the crust for an apple pie).
One of the foods that I know by heart is my own homemade pizza. Again, there is no recipe, and ingredients usually change depending on what I have in the fridge. Some have called my pizza amazing. And once I began rolling the dough (first with a glass, then with an actual rolling pin) to a thinner sheet, my family loved it and everyone always wants a taste. So what’s my personal secret? Read on for the “recipe,” or at least a guideline.
There are many different ways to make a great pizza, and it usually varies with individual tastes and preferences. However, I think the key component is making everything from scratch and not skimping on the toppings. Those lonely peppers on pizzeria pizzas? Not here!
First things first: the dough. This is the most important part of my pizza. I use whole wheat flour (none of that nasty bleached, processed powder), yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and hot water. The best estimation of quantities I can provide is as follows:
- one .25oz packet of yeast (I use the Red Star Quick Rise ones)
- about 2 tablespoons of sugar (these are actual tablespoons, not a measurement)
- 10 as-full-as-you-can-get-them tablespoons of flour (I try to estimate them as 1/4 cup for each really full tablespoon, so a total of 2.5 cups)
- a bit of salt (about half a teaspoon)
- about half a cup of olive oil
- enough hot water to turn the mixture into dough that is somewhat firm, but not sticky
I first combine the dry ingredients, then pour the oil, followed by water, and mix with my fingers until I can knead the dough. I am careful to not knead too much as that makes the dough firm and I like mine soft, so I usually stop once it reaches the same consistency throughout and has no dry spots. I also find that it’s a lot easier to add less water than needed and then add more little by little – this prevents it from being very sticky and the consistency is better. Once the dough is ready, place it back in the bowl, cover with a towel, and let sit while preparing other ingredients.
Second, I make the sauce with half of a small can of tomato paste, enough water to create the desired consistency (a too runny sauce can be mitigated by adding flour), 2-3 minced garlic cloves, and dried spices like oregano or pizza seasoning (which is mostly oregano anyway). I mix it all in a bowl and let it sit.
The ingredients is what really sets my pizza apart, but can also be modified to unique tastes. My favorite combination is shrimp, red peppers, mushrooms, red onions, spinach, and lots of cheese. The shrimp idea is something that I came across in Denmark and Sweden and absolutely loved it. I also buy those 5-lb blocks of mozzarella and grate my own cheese (about 1/6 of the block per pizza) – it stays fresher and melts better than the prepackaged variety. I used to add broccoli and artichoke hearts to the pizza too, but haven’t done so in a while and it’s usually my last resort if I am missing other ingredients and don’t want a wimpy pizza.
The final step is assembly. Once the dough is rolled out, I place it on a cookie sheet (I like rectangular pizzas – they are easier to cut and store) that has been oiled and sprinkled with flour to prevent sticking, spread the sauce, place the spinach evenly to cover the bottom (this helps prevent the dough from getting soggy from the mushrooms, peppers, and shrimp), then layer the rest of the ingredients and cover with cheese. And bake! I also don’t like it when the cheese develops a brown crust, so I make sure to take it out while the cheese is still gooey. It helps to offset a rack slightly lower than the middle to make sure the crust cooks more than the cheese. I usually have two racks at approximately 40% and 60% of the oven height so I can control the exposure of each side better.
I feel a little weird now giving away my “secret recipe,” but then again, it’s also so subjective that it will be impossible to replicate anyway. I hope it helps someone though. And if you have any questions about the process or want to share your own method, feel free to leave a comment!
