Made my first successful pizza dough. Food photo below.

[alfredo]

I used Mario Batali's recipe. I cooked at 400 degrees.

Ingredients
1/4 cup light red or white wine, Fiano di Avellino
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups flour
Directions
Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

For individual pizzas or calzones, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and knead into rounds. For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/pizza-dough-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. VERY cool!

Never heard of or considered using wine in a pizza dough recipe, much less honey.

Sounds good and looks delicious!

[alfredo]

2. It inspired me to make more yeast breads.

Batali has a whole wheat crust recipe too.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Looks excellent. n/t

[alfredo]

4. Breads and desserts are my weak dishes. I can make good pan breads, but yeast breads

never live up to my expectations.

I will learn the secret someday if I keep at it.

[PADemD]

5. Bread flour or all-purpose flour?

[alfredo]

6. All purpose. That's all they have in the stores around here.

How can I make a less dense bread using all purpose?

[Warpy]

7. Use the NYT No Knead recipe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0

You will need a heavy Dutch oven. Enameled cast iron is best. Cast iron will do very well. Don't use Pyrex, the cold, wet dough can make it explode and you won't like that.

[alfredo]

9. I am lacking a dutch oven. I guess I should find one.

I've been threatening to do just that.

[Warpy]

11. I blew money I couldn't afford on a Le Creuset oven

and now I use that pot for everything but sautes.

The NYT bread is an artisan type bread. The crust is crackly and wonderful and the interior is light as a feather. It toasts beautifully. The last year I could eat wheat, that was my basic bread every week, baked in a solar oven in summer.

Plus, I got the "flame" color, that screaming orange pot making me feel good when I look at it.

[alfredo]

13. I guess tomorrow would be a good day to go shopping for a Dutch oven.

My sister can't eat bread anymore. She was in bad shape until they figured out what was ailing her.

I know a lady in Florida that's been making solar ovens. I wonder if she still is.

I made some "street vendor" tacos tonight. Turned out OK, a bit dry but manageable.


BTW, making bread and arthritis don't mix.

[Warpy]

14. I came to that same conclusion 17 years ago and got a Kitchen Aid

stand mixer. While it did a great job of kneading everyday bread dough, I fell completely in love with the NYT recipe. The machine did the mixing and all about I needed to do was shape a round loaf to go into the hot Dutch Oven.

[alfredo]

16. We lack counter space, so all we have is their hand mixer.

I found this whole wheat recipe.

http://www.myhealthyeatinghabits.com/2012/03/21/my-favorite-no-knead-whole-wheat-bread/

[msanthrope]

17. Buy the one from Lodge on Amazon--load cheaper than LeC, and you can even buy a LeC

knob if you want.

[alfredo]

18. I think I found one at Target. I will check to see if it is cheaper at the Zon.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. Sounds interesting. I make pizza all the time and it never seems to come out the

same way twice. This looks really thick. If you like thin crust, guess you could just cut down the whole dough size ?

[alfredo]

10. I guess you could. You could freeze what you don't use for later.

I was limited by the size of the pan.

BTW, I ate the rest of my share for breakfast.

[Warpy]

12. Breakfast of champions

[alfredo]

15. I had enough discipline to throw it into the toaster oven.

Cold fried chicken is still the best way to start the day. Usually all that is left are the thighs, but that's fine with me, the dark meat is more moist and flavorful.


Cold chicken isn't just for breakfast, its for those nights when Thom Yorke is on the box, and your head is in the garden. That remaining breast becomes your prey, never mind that all that will be left for breakfast are thighs, because Thom Yorke is on the box, and your head is in the garden.

[sad-cafe]

19. that looks very good

thank you for sharing

[alfredo]

22. I'm getting ready to get heavy into bread making this winter.

[pitbullgirl1965]

20. What brand of flour did you use?

I swear by King Arthurs flour.

[alfredo]

21. This was just plain old Kroger all purpose flour.