Spinach, zucchini, feta, and garlic pizza, my cure for pasta boredom.
The Resident Taste Tester is still in Deutschland, leaving me to fend for myself in the kitchen. Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea (I can cook more than a mean quesadilla), it's just that it is far less enjoyable to cook for one.
Cafe Karl Schneller on Amelienstrasse 59 in Munich. They had, hands down, the best cake I ate in Germany, and I ate A LOT of cake ("Kuchen" in German). Do practice your Deutsche ahead of time because the bilingual college kids are not always serving.
Last night, after several dinners of variations on a vegetarian pasta, I did something a little out of character... I ordered McDelivery. For one. Not only is that sad, it's a sure sign of RTT withdrawal.
Today, I fought back with home made pizza. Healthy home made pizza, the sort with spinach, zucchini, a bit of feta cheese, a dousing of olive oil, plenty of garlic, and a fifty percent whole wheat crust.
Smitten Kitchen has my go-to easy pizza crust recipe. I did the optional whole wheat flour substitute and followed the recipe pretty much as is.
Now, with a belly full of pizza, it's time to get back to my Halloween costume and adventures in sewing without a sewing machine!
Pizza Crust
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields one thin pizza crust, approximately 12" in diameter
3/4 C (75g) bread flour
3/4 C (100g) whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
3/4 tsp yeast
1/2 C + 1-2T warm water
1 T olive oil
- Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 C warm water and set aside.
- Combine the flours and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the yeast solution and oil to the dry ingredients and stir, adding 1-2 tablespoons of warm water if needed.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover.
- Let the dough double in volume (about 1-2 hours), then punch it down, cover, and rest for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to the highest temperature and roll out the dough into a thin circle.
- Top with anything you like, just keep the slices thin and don't pile the toppings too high (otherwise your dough might not do so well).
- Bake approximately 10 minutes, until the edges of the dough are crispy and brown.
- Enjoy!
My dough didn't rise a whole lot; it could be because the yeast wasn't completely dissolved. Also, dough was on the dry side; even though this didn't really affect the end quality, it would have made kneading easier. The only thing I would change if I did it again would be to add another tablespoon or two of warm water and dissolve the yeast in it first (as the recipe is written above).
The RTT is gone for another week and a half; any hot ideas on cooking for one?
