Flattery will get you everywhere

Or in this case, flattery will get you flat bread. I was talking to LOML at lunch about the fact that I have not made pizza much this summer -- it is a frequent summer dish in our house when the garden is ready with tomatoes: and since I had whey to use in dough, and mozzarella to use on top, and pesto in the freezer from last year --- which really needs to get used up before we fill the freezer with enough pesto to last until next summer --- the kneads were clear.
And then Boo piped up "can I have pizza tonight? your pizza is the best!"

And so I have just spent an hour or so putting together enough pizza dough to do a few minipizzas this evening and some bigger pizzas tomorrow. I've already decided who to invite over (they are vegetarians, and so pizzas are perfect: we can add some meats to some of the pies, and not to others as we see fit!)

Pesto pizza party dough:

One small ball of already risen dough (a few ounces, not much)
Couple of cups of warm whey, milk or water
Half cup or so of homemade pesto
Bread flour (5-6 cups, or more if needed)
1 Tbsp Yeast
1 Tbsp kosher salt (a bit less if using table salt)

Break the already risen dough into small pieces, and let it soften in the whey. Add a couple of cups of flour, whisk to make a batter, and leave it for the flour to hydrate and the yeast in the old dough to show it's alive. When it is beginning to show signs of life (a few bubbles pop on the surface) then (I use a mixer) add the yeast and some of the flour, and after it is incorporated, add enough of the flour that it comes together to make a soft but not too sticky dough.
Knead a long time: you want the gluten in this to be very well developed and elastic. Place into a lightly greased (with olive oil) bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When it is risen, cut off part of the dough to use immediately: cut into appropriate size pieces, stretch into rounds, place on parchment paper; top with cheese, tomatoes, and whatever else you want, and bake in a 425 oven. (I will often use a much hotter oven, and you get great results, but start with a lower heat and work your way up until you know what you are doing. 550 is quite hot!)

A key to pizzas is to not overdo the toppings! When I started baking, I used to make pizzas which were piled high with peppers, pepperoni, pepper flakes, on top of mushrooms, mozzarella and meat, sausage, sauce and seasonings. And they were edible, but not great. Then I discovered minimalism in pizzas, and oh, is it better!

Cut the remaining dough into appropriately sized pieces, shape into balls and put into ziplock bags: if you are going to bake in the next few days, put them in the fridge: if it is going to be longer than that, put them in the freezer. Take them out a few hours before you want to use them, and presto, pesto pizza dough!


Yours, flatterened,
N.