The Journey continues... with a little help

As my journey to make great pizza continues, I've received some help along the way. My aunt gave me this flour:




Similar to the Italian Coputo 00 flour, this has a very smooth soft feel. The dough did have potential, but I think I need to play with it some more to perfect it.

Also, as time has gone on Auden has gotten more and more involved not only in the cooking process, but also the decision making. I have started to make him individual pies, that way he can have it just the way he likes it... which these days is with mushroom.

Here he is helping to top the dough with garlic oil before adding the mushrooms and cheese.

Cooking with Auden: Naan

I am always on the look out for great homemade naan to go with my Indian food. Here is another attempt. It was from one of my new favorite sites, The Fresh Loaf.

I made half the recipe and it made 4 loafs. The result was good, but still not restaurant quality. Likely because I used far less butter (Ghee) then they do in the restaurants.

Naan

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 cup milk, heated to 110F
1 tsp sugar
ghee or melted butter to taste

Activate the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar added or if using instant yeast just add all the dry ingredients together, as there is no need to activate the yeast.

Combine the flour and salt. Once the yeast is active, combine the yeast mixture with the flour mixture.

Mix in a stand mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.



Allow to rest for two hours, covered with a towel or plastic.

After the dough has rested turn it out onto a floured surface and divide into 8 - 12 equal pieces and round them into balls. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough rests heat your oven to 500 F and place a pizza stone, or cast iron skillet, on the bottom rack of the oven.

Once fully rested roll out the dough until it is thin, use a touch of flour to prevent sticking.

Moisten your hands with water, gently pass the dough between your hands to moisten gently, then lay on the hot pizza stone. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until puffed and beginning to get brown spots.

Remove from the oven, brush lightly with ghee (or melted butter) and cover with a cloth to keep warm.

Cooking with Auden: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

We wanted to make some simple oatmeal cookies and came across this recipe. We replaced some of the fruit with chocolate chips. They turned out yummy but very soft.


Mixed Dried Fruit Oatmeal Cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl cream the butter with the brown sugar




Mix the baking soda with water.


Add in the egg, the baking soda mixture, the flour, the salt, and the vanilla. Stir in the oats, the apricots, the prunes, and the chocolate chips and combine the dough well.


Stir in the oats, the apricots, the prunes, and the chocolate chips and combine the dough well.

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough about 4 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated 375 F. oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer them with a spatula to racks, and let them cool.

Cooking with Auden: Tony the Pizza Champion

I had pointed my friend Brad to Tony's Pizza in San Fransisco after a review on my favorite pizza blog, Slice.
As it turns out, Tony is a World Champion Pizzaiolo. Brad sent us a great gift package with a book about Tony.

I thought what a great thing to do with the kids in Auden's class. So I read them the book and we all made pizza.

Each kid got his own little pizza station.


They played with the dough.


They each got to make their own pie, just the way they like it.


It's not exactly the same using a toaster oven, but the pizzas were a huge hit.


Even Auden got in on some of the pizza tossing acrobatics.

cooking with Auden: Popovers

We were looking for some fun cooking activity we could do and I remembered that I had Pretend Soup.

This recipe was perfect for Auden to do (almost) all on his own.

Pop Overs

1 - 2 Tbs butter

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/4 salt

Preheat the oven to 375 deg. While its warming place the muffin pan with a little butter in each cup in the oven for a few minutes until soft. Then using a brush, spread the butter around the cups.

Break the eggs in a large bowl.

Add the milk and mix until combined.

Add the flour.

Pour the batter into the cups, filling about 2/3.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve with jam or honey.

Cooking with Auden: Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies are always a great kid friendly recipe. There are always a few steps, some mixing and a yummy treat when you are all done.

We made these simple peanut butter cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars.

Beat in eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter

Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake

Cooking with Auden: Arugula and white bean crostini

Here is another great simple recipe that is can surely use the help of a few small hands.

Arugula and white bean crostini

1/2 can white beans rinsed

about 2 cups arugula

4 - 6 slices ciabatta

1 garlic clove

EVOO

Balsamic

salt and pepper

Start by mixing the arugula and beans and season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle with EVOO and a touch of balsamic. This is a great step to have the kids help with. You can use tongs (as Auden does) or your hands.

Toast or grill the bread, then rub with the garlic clove. Another great kid step.

Place a few slices of bread on the plate and top with the salad.

And yes we do eat frozen pizza. Ok, well not exactly...we had this left over and need something quick.

Cooking with Auden: Apple Sauce

As I have written before, why buy apple sauce? The jarred stuff is full of sugar and who knows what else. It is easy to make and can be made to the exact taste of the person eating it.

Auden has always been a huge fan of apple sauce, and this was the first time that he really got to make it almost entirely on his own.

Apple and Pear Sauce

apples and pears

water, OJ or cider

seasoning (e.g. cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, all spice, cloves...etc)

Start by peeling the apples and pears.

Once peeled, slice into pieces.

Chop into big pieces. No need to use a super sharp knife, use something kid safe.

Place the apples and pears in a pot and add a touch of liquid and the seasoning to taste.

Cook, covered until the apples are soft. Then mash using a food mill.

As always, the taster gives it a thumbs up.

Cooking with Auden: Focaccia

As the weather has begun to turn to fall, I always feel the urge to make some nice hearty soups, and what is soup with out some great bread for dipping.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Fields of Greens. Almost everything I have made from it is great, but never overly complicated.

This was also the first time that Auden really got into kneading the dough, in the past he has never really enjoyed touching the stickiness.

Focaccia

2 packs yeast

2 cups warm water (110 deg)

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 EVOO

5 1/2 cups flour (I used 3 all-purpose and 2.5 bread flour)

2 tbs salt

2 Tbs herbs, thyme, rosemary or sage

EVOO

Course Sea salt

Start by mixing 1/2 water with the yeast and sugar. Let sit about 10 minutes until bubbles form.

Add the remaining water, EVOO and herbs. In a seperate bowl mix the flour with the salt.

Gradually mix in the flour to the wet ingredients, about a cup at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth.

Place dough in a oiled bowl and cover for about 2 hours until doubled in size. Then divide the dough in half.

The recipe calls for baking in a pan. I decided to try one piece in a pan and the other on a pizza stone.

Spread the dough out into a 9 x 13 pan or onto parchment. Cover, and let rise at least another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 deg.

Dimple the surface with your finger.

Brush the surface with more EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.