Easy Pizza Dough

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Friday night has always been traditionally pizza night for Steve and I.  Once the kids came along, the tradition has been modified slightly, with it being around every second week and sometimes on Saturday night.  Nonetheless, we regularly enjoy making and eating pizza at our house and this Easy Pizza Dough is the basis of it all.

Over time I have explained and helped many of my friends master this Easy Pizza Dough recipe (which I have based on Stephanie Alexander’s recipe), so I thought it was time to share it further.  The only hard part about this recipe is being organised ahead to allow enough time for the proofing of the dough.  My recipe actually has a 2 rounds of proofing – first one is 1 ½ hours, second is 30 minutes -  although this is not necessary.

Too make it even easier, here is a video below that actually shows you exactly how I make the dough, including some useful tips.


Easy Pizza Dough

Adapted from Stephanie Alexander’s, The Cook’s Companion

Ingredients

3 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon instant dried yeast
Pinch of salt
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup warm water extra

Method

Combine flour, yeast and salt in mixing bowl of food mixer/processor (do this manually or use low setting).  Add olive oil to 1 cup of water and mix.  Turn on mixer to low and add water slowly, allowing it to combine.  Add extra water as required, 1 tablespoon at a time to ensure all ingredients are just combined (there should be no dry ingredients left in the bottom of the bowl).  Once the ingredients have all come together, increase the speed of the mixer to allow kneading to occur (refer to manual for correct speed – this can vary).

After 6-8 minutes of kneading, remove dough.  It should be smooth in texture and elastic.  Roll the dough into a ball and place in a bowl greased with olive oil.  Cover and allow to rise for 1 ½ hours.  After this time, knock the dough down and cover.  Allow to rise for another ½ hour.

Remove dough and divide in half – each half is sufficient for a 26cm pizza base (see notes).  Roll out dough to desired thickness.  The dough is now ready for your choice of toppings.

The Klutzy Cook Notes

  • Any type of baker’s yeast can be used, simply follow manufacturer’s instructions before adding to the flour.
  • The dough can be made by hand.  Mix the ingredients in the same way and once combined, knead the dough on a floured benchtop.
  • If there is insufficient time, the pizza dough can be rolled out after the first proofing.
  • Depending on the thickness of pizza you prefer, there is sufficient in this recipe to make 3 thin pizzas or 2 thick pizzas.
  • Leftover pizza dough can be frozen.  To reuse, simply thaw completely, then roll it out.
  • Before topping the pizza dough, place it onto the pizza tray (or stone) it will be cooked on, otherwise it can be difficult to move the topped pizza.
  • If cooking in a pizza oven (what I use), prepare the pizza on a piece of baking paper and then slide it onto the base of the pizza oven with the paper underneath.  After about 1 minute, remove the baking paper and continue cooking.  I find this makes it easier to move and cook the pizza.

Now you can enjoy Friday Night Pizza like my family using this Easy Pizza Dough recipe.  What topping will you have?

July 31st, 2009 | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments »

My Favourite Baked Salmon Recipe

I don’t know why, but I always feel really decadent when I eat this baked salmon recipe.  Granted, salmon isn’t cheap which probably contributes to the feeling of decadence, but there is something else (and I’m not sure what) that induces the feeling of real indulgence.  Maybe because it always tastes so good, it’s like you’re at a great restaurant and not your own dining table.  Or maybe it’s because it tastes so great and is secretly good for you too.  Or maybe it’s because it looks so fantastic, even uncooked.  Whatever it is, salmon is always a joy to eat.

Although I’m happy to eat salmon any way (even canned salmon is a staple in my kitchen), this is my favourite baked salmon recipe.  I make it as often as I can and the whole family loves it.  Another bonus is how easy and quick it is to make.

Baked Salmon Ingredients

Baked Salmon Ingredients

Baked Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

4 salmon steaks
6 slices of bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons pesto

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.  Grease or line a baking dish of sufficient size to hold the salmon.

Place the bread in a food processor and process until it is a fine crumb mixture.  Combine pesto with the crumbs.

Place salmon into dish and gently press pesto crumb mixture onto the top of the salmon.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  The crumb mixture should be golden and the fish cooked through.  Serve with crispy potatoes and salad.

Baked-Salmon-Recipe-1

Crumbed Salmon

The Klutzy Cook Notes

  • Pesto can be freshly made or the jar variety, whatever suits best.
  • Take the effort to make the fresh breadcrumbs, they are essential for this recipe.  You can use any bread – I usually use multigrain.

Enjoy!

July 30th, 2009 | Tags: , , , | 3 Comments »

Red Lentil & Tomato Soup

During the height of winter there is nothing better than a warming bowl of soup.  This Red Lentil & Tomato Soup from Sanitarium was in my Sunday paper recently and made the perfect winter dinner.

A soup like this not only oozes warmth (not least because it’s a beautiful reddish orange colour) but it also oozes ‘healthy’.  A tasty combination of vegetables, lentils and spices it is a cinch to make and ready in under half an hour.

Red Lentil & Tomato Soup

Red Lentil Tomato Soup

Red Lentil Tomato Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
500g packet dried red lentils, washed
7 cups water
2 x 440g cans tomatoes
415g can tomato soup
2 zucchini, grated

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute onion, garlic and spices until transparent and spices are fragrant.  Add remaining ingredients except zucchini and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes then add zucchini.  Season to taste and simmer a further 5 minutes.

The Klutzy Cook Notes

  • Don’t drop the grater into the pan (like I did) when grating the zucchini.
  • Coriander and cumin could be replaced with a curry powder for a slightly different taste.
  • Serve with nice crusty bread or damper.

Enjoy!

July 28th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Vanilla Birthday Cake

We recently celebrated my eldest son’s 7th birthday.  My kids always plan well in advance what theme they want for their cake and I always do my best to oblige.  The truth is, I love making birthday cakes and creating something special for the birthday boy or girl.  Usually we make the cake together and then while they are asleep, I go to work cutting and pasting and icing and so on and so on.  The next morning is the best when the final creation is unveiled – the look on the little person’s face is always worth the effort.  And given that two of these special birthdays are in summer when icing can suffer a serious meltdown, it is often a monumental achievement.

Over the years there have been many themes – dinosaur, train, fairy, princess castle, Dorothy The Dinosaur, Thomas The Tank Engine – to name a few.  This year, Mitch decided on Star Wars and the plan was to have a fairly simple vanilla birthday cake decorated with Star Wars figurines.

I was thinking this would be relatively easy compared to previous years until suitable Star Wars figurines couldn’t be found anywhere (not unless I wanted to take out a second mortgage just to decorate a birthday cake).  Luckily a fast Plan B came into action while strolling around the supermarket – an Ice Age 3 vanilla birthday cake!  We’d seen the movie over the holidays (Mitch actually saw it twice and loved it) so there were plenty of Ice Age 3 figurines available at a respectable price.  These coupled with some special sprinkles for the cake that included miniature dinosaurs were perfect.

Once home, Mitch was easily sold on Plan B once he saw the figurines and was assured he could have first pick for two to keep after the cake was finished.

Now, to the cake recipe itself.  In the past I have always made a vanilla butter cake that followed the complete process of creaming, adding eggs etc etc.  However, this year an easy version was given to me.  This vanilla birthday cake only requires one bowl and is delicious.  It was also lighter in texture to previous cakes I had made.  The quantities below are for a large rectangle pan – the base measurement of mine is 31cm x 20.5cm.

Vanilla Birthday Cake

Ingredients

3 cups self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
2 cups caster sugar
300g butter, cubed
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
6 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 140C.  Grease large rectangle cake pan (approx 31cm x 21cm) with butter.  Line the base and sides with baking paper.

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Beat on low speed for 30 seconds or until just combined.  Increase speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes ensuring that all the butter is incorporated.  The mixture should be smooth and thick.  Spoon into prepared pan and smooth surface with back of a spoon.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Vanilla Birthday Cake

Vanilla Birthday Cake

Vanilla Birthday Cake Iced

The Klutzy Cook Notes

  • Ensure the butter is soft enough to beat.
  • Bring eggs to room temperature before using.
  • Regular milk can be used if buttermilk is not available.
  • It would be possible to split this mixture between 2 smaller cake pans (any shape should be fine) – the cooking time will need to be adjusted though.

The icing was simple butter icing with a splash of vanilla extract added.  No colouring was used.  On top, the figurines were added and then the sprinkles.  Mitch decided to add the ‘parsley trees’ for a finished look.  Here is the finished product from a couple of different angles.

Ice Age Birthday Cake

Ice Age Birthday Cake

Ice-Age-3-Birthday-Cake-3

Mitch-Birthday-Cake

The verdict – Birthday Boy was delighted with his cake (as the toothy smile proves) and everyone loved the taste.

What’s the next theme for your birthday cake?

July 27th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Chicken Tomato Risotto

Welcome to the first post on The Klutzy Cook blog.  For me, I couldn’t think of a better recipe to launch with than a risotto, a family (and personal) favourite.

I adore risotto, in fact, it is very hard for me to go past it whenever it is offered on a menu.  Over time, I’ve also managed to master cooking it at home.  In early attempts, I would often undercook the rice and have also tried some oven cooked risottos which were never the same as cooking them on the stove top.

Nowadays, I always have extra stock on hand (usually another cup) and know that the risotto is done when the rice is ‘aldente’ (firm to the bite) – exactly the same test as for pasta.  Once you have mastered the basics of how to make risotto it is one of those dishes that is extremely versatile and  can be adapted to whatever ingredients are on hand.  Some of the best risottos are in fact the simplest and rely on just a few seasonal ingredients.

This Chicken Tomato Risotto is the latest in my repertoire.  Initially I was skeptical of the flavour without browning the chicken however, the final flavor was fantastic.  To achieve the best flavour, it is important to use chicken thighs.

Chicken Tomato Risotto

Adapted from Super Food Ideas

Ingredients

Risotto Ingredients

Risotto Ingredients

4 cups salt reduced chicken stock
400-500g jar tomato pasta sauce
1 tablespoon oil
100g (approx. 6 slices) pancetta, chopped
1 medium brown onion , finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
4 (500g) chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cubed

Combine stock and pasta sauce in a saucepan and to a simmer.  Heat oil in pan and add pancetta, onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring, until onion has softened (about 5 minutes).

Stock & Tomato Sauce

Stock & Tomato Sauce

Onion & Pancetta Saute

Onion & Pancetta Saute

Now add the rice and rosemary and stir well to ensure rice is coated with oil and translucent.  Cook while stirring for 1 minute and then add wine.  Allow the wine to boil and add chicken stirring well to combine.

From here add 1/3 cup tomato stock mixture and cook stirring regularly.  Once absorbed, add another 1/3 cup and continue to do this until the rice is tender and creamy (‘aldente’).  This should take about 20-25 minutes.  When finished, season to taste and serve topped with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Chicken Tomato Risotto

Chicken Tomato Risotto

The Klutzy Cook Notes

  • Bacon can be substituted for pancetta.
  • Use a wine you would be happy to drink.  If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t spoil your food with it.
  • It is important to stir the risotto often – the grains rubbing together results in the creamy texture.

Cooking risotto is something that takes a little time and the dish requires constant attention, but with some patience (and a glass of wine) the rewards are definitely worth it.

What is your favourite risotto?

July 26th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »