Last January, we began a family tradition of making a homemade pizza every Friday night. This means that part of Sienna's daily rhythm for Friday includes watching Mama make the pizza dough and sauce. She usually plays and sometimes comes to watch. When she was very little, I either carried her in my Ergo or she was napping during this time.
Today, I would like to share some of the pizza making process with you:
1. I usually begin, by getting out all of the ingredients that I will need for the sauce. Then, I chop 1/2 an onion and get my garlic ready for the press. We love garlic, so I usually have many cloves ready!
2. Next, I abandon the sauce. Don't worry we'll get back to it later! Time to get the dough started. Since the arrival of my Kitchen Aid mixer, we've been loving Emeril Lagasse's Perfect Pizza Dough. I used to make the dough by hand and it was a process, especially when I had to pick up Sienna and my hands were covered in dough. We've also tried using 1/2 whole wheat flour and all whole wheat flour, but Daddy prefers the white flour.
Here are a couple of snapshots of the dough, in action:
warm water, yeast, and sugar
just beginning to foam ...
ready & waiting!
I like to push down the flour that gets stuck on the sides of the mixing bowl.
ready to rise
keeping away the drafts
3. Now, I return back to the sauce. I don't actually have a "recipe link" for this one, as it's a combination of my own additions/modifications to other recipes. In a pan on medium heat, I put 1 tbspn. of butter and 1-2 tbspns. of olive oil. Add 1/2 an onion and how ever many cloves of garlic to your family's liking. Turn the heat down and simmer until the onions are transparent.
4. When the onions are transparent, I add in a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and then a 6 oz. can of tomato paste. We enjoy using Muir Glen Organic tomato sauce and paste, but we would like to try fresh tomatoes next year, when we get those going in our garden. Once the sauce and paste are stirred in evenly, I add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Then, add in herbs to your liking. Today, I used a couple tablespoons of both basil and oregano. Sometimes, we add in a few bay leaves. We've also tried fennel seeds. Now, let it simmer to your liking. Mine will be simmering on the lowest setting for a few hours today.
A few more snapshots of the pizza sauce, in action:
A makeshift spoon rest. This year for our 2nd anniversary, we decided not to buy gifts for each other. Instead, we will choose some pottery pieces together. We need to get around to picking them, one of which will be a spoon rest!
Today, I would like to share some of the pizza making process with you:
1. I usually begin, by getting out all of the ingredients that I will need for the sauce. Then, I chop 1/2 an onion and get my garlic ready for the press. We love garlic, so I usually have many cloves ready!
2. Next, I abandon the sauce. Don't worry we'll get back to it later! Time to get the dough started. Since the arrival of my Kitchen Aid mixer, we've been loving Emeril Lagasse's Perfect Pizza Dough. I used to make the dough by hand and it was a process, especially when I had to pick up Sienna and my hands were covered in dough. We've also tried using 1/2 whole wheat flour and all whole wheat flour, but Daddy prefers the white flour.
Here are a couple of snapshots of the dough, in action:
warm water, yeast, and sugarjust beginning to foam ...
ready & waiting!
I like to push down the flour that gets stuck on the sides of the mixing bowl.
ready to rise
keeping away the drafts3. Now, I return back to the sauce. I don't actually have a "recipe link" for this one, as it's a combination of my own additions/modifications to other recipes. In a pan on medium heat, I put 1 tbspn. of butter and 1-2 tbspns. of olive oil. Add 1/2 an onion and how ever many cloves of garlic to your family's liking. Turn the heat down and simmer until the onions are transparent.
4. When the onions are transparent, I add in a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and then a 6 oz. can of tomato paste. We enjoy using Muir Glen Organic tomato sauce and paste, but we would like to try fresh tomatoes next year, when we get those going in our garden. Once the sauce and paste are stirred in evenly, I add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Then, add in herbs to your liking. Today, I used a couple tablespoons of both basil and oregano. Sometimes, we add in a few bay leaves. We've also tried fennel seeds. Now, let it simmer to your liking. Mine will be simmering on the lowest setting for a few hours today.
A few more snapshots of the pizza sauce, in action:
A makeshift spoon rest. This year for our 2nd anniversary, we decided not to buy gifts for each other. Instead, we will choose some pottery pieces together. We need to get around to picking them, one of which will be a spoon rest!
I always move my dough next to the pizza sauce, so the heat from the burner aids in the rising of the dough.5. Next steps ... wait for the "pizza assembly man" to get home from work. This post will be continued with pizza assembly instructions from Daddy and snapshots of yummy pizza.
To be continued ...
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