The Mint Shop

The Mint Shop

Friday 27 August 2010

Pizza: where is the secret?

Somebody unfairly hinted at my lack of work given the prolific updating of this blog...I can confidently say that I DO have a lot of work but have extroardinary organisational skills...

....It is because I have been at home for the past two months, which is a very exceptional fact on its own, which explains why I had so much time at my disposal and no exotic recipes - does Corsica count as exotic?
And also I started enjoying writing on this blog, it is really growing on me, a bit like porridge. I know that nobody really reads it (I would probably even do without the really), and that is just about me and my compulsory cooking disorder, but what the hell! SO WHAT?!? I have given myself one year to see whether I get to 50 followers, and if not then I will have to recognise my miserable failures and hang my saucepan and zip my suitcase (or simply continue using it for work)...sigh!

But hey! today the sun has finally decided to make an appearance, our courgette plant has given us two new courgettes, and I have just donated to Oxfam a big bag of my never used shirts which means I now have a lot more space in the wardrobe...so I feel in the right mood to share with you the secrets for the perfect pizza dough!

My husband and I had a little competition last night (Flo & Deb were the lucky guinea pigs). The bet was on the right amount of flour into the mix: how much do you really need? And should it be before or after the water?

Well this is the secret - which will remain as such as nobody will read it anyway...

250ml warm water; 1 tsp sugar; 7g dried yeast (a sachet); 400g flour.

In a large bowl melt the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Leave it for 10 minutes until it starts forming a yellowish and pretty disgusting foam (and have an equally disgusting smell). Then add half of the flour and mix well to avoid lumps. Add slowly the rest of the flour mixing well. Work the mix with your hands - you need to create a boat shape closing the edges so that the air gets into the dough.

Form a ball and place in a bowl covered with a tea towel. Leave the dough in a warm place - ideally on top of the oven which will need to be very hot for the pizza later. I would calculate almost 2 hours, which it's true it is a long time, but honestly the wait is worth it!


2 comments:

  1. at least one person is reading your missives! Ah, how wonderful to lead a life of leisure :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do have work...as I said, very well organised! ;)

    ReplyDelete