Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Pizza

There are quite a few things about any area that you really like or dislike.

In New York I love the pizza. There's a pizza place about 5 mins. up the road from us but out favorite is La Capannina which is in Wainscott. One of favorites is Primavera with lots of garlic, broccoli, spinach, mushroom and eggplant. My favorite is the Calamari pie. Gabe never had to worry where to take me for my birthday, it was calamari pie time!

Florida has the typical pizza chains. I personally do not like or eat the pizza from those places. A few local pizza restaurants opened in the area, and yuck. Fuhgeddaboudit ( AKA- forget about it).

We are going to move to this area and how can I live in a place without a decent pie?

I found the place- La Linda's! I made the above with sausage and pepper and my honey loved it. He said- KEEP THAT RECIPE!

My secret, a friend I met on the TOH recipe board. Carol's recipes never fail. I've made quite a few and wish you could see the photographs her husband Bob takes of her creations.

Myself and two other ladies asked for help on the TOH recipe board because we felt we are "yeast" challenged. Found many good tips but it was time to -JUST DO IT.

The below recipe is Carol's. I usually adapt a recipe, it's just the way I cook and bake but I didn't change a thing except kneading the bread which I did in the kitchen aid with the dough hook.


HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH
(Source: adapted from Country Living)

2-2 1/2 c. bread flour
1 Tbsp. instant, quick rise or bread machine yeast ( I used rapid yeast)
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water, heated to 115-125 degrees ( I have a candy thermometer at home and now I have one here, better safe then sorry!)
1/2 c. milk, heated to 115-125 degrees
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal


I measured the 2 cups of flour and added to my kitchen aid bowl. To the flour I added the sugar, salt and yes- THE YEAST .

While the above was in the bowl my biggest issue was the temp. of the water and milk. I bought a candy thermometer which helped.

I added the water,milk and evoo to the flour mixture and beat with the paddle attachment for 2 mins.

Carol kneads by hand and maybe one day I'll do the same but I have the kitchen aid which has a dough hook so I let that kneed the dough which I added the last 1/2 cup of the flour.I kneeded it for about 8 mins.

Gregory has a oven with a warming drawer and I put the dough in a greased bowl for an hour to rise.

Once the hour was up I pushed it down and rolled it out. I don't have a rolling pin in florida so I used a 2 liter bottle of soda. A wine bottle would work well also.

Onto the pan, all dressed up into a 375 oven it went.

Like Mr. Food would say- OH- SO GOOD!

 

4 comments:

  1. Jj, I knew ya could do it. Well I am next and I have selected a Bread. As soon as I get the yeast I will Get er done !

    Great shot and it didn't shrink. It looks delicious. 1 down 2 to go. Nancy has selected Rolls.

    Thanks Bunches
    Janie

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  2. Woo hoo! Linda your pizza looks FANTASTIC! I KNEW you could do it! Isn't working with yeast fun? The more you do it, the less stressed you'll get.

    I'm SO glad the recipe worked for you and that you and Gabe.......and MAX......enjoyed your pizza.

    A pizza parlor? Fuhgeddaboudit (I come from MA-I understood you PERFECTLY!)-not when you've got La Linda's! :)

    Carol

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  3. WOWEEEEE, Linda......here is your new calling. Open up LaLinda's Fuhgeddaboudit Pizza shop !! This pizza looks soo soo soo good. You are becoming the best of the best. Gabe is one lucky guy to be your taster.

    Oh, so now I know who Carol is.....nice to meetcha Carol. You must be such a great cook. I used to get TOH magazines all the time, until they started to take up too much room. Now that I am by myself, I don't do much cooking, but I sure do love to look at all the great foods you guys cook.

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  4. Knowing your cooking, I'm sure that Mr. Food would say, "This is OH SO GOOD!!" It sounds like La Linda's pizza was a hit! It surely does look delicious. By the way, I like Myra's name for your future pizza parlor! Yes, I think this could be another calling in life for you! :) ~Dawn

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