Did I mention...

...the cooking?

I love to cook. LOVE.

Baking. Stewing. Casseroling. My own bread, buns and cinnamon scrolls. Biscuits. Soup. Ice cream without using a machine. Brownies. Friands. I have a special madeleine tin. And a Kugelhopf pan. The list goes on :D And, I am very good at it. Past co-workers speak longingly of The Baking. The threat of Not Baking ensures I get my way plenty of the time. I've had marriage proposals. Usually from the already married. And women. But there you go.

Today, I discovered the Smitten Kitchen website.

::swoons::

Oh lordy.

I already had a hankering for some baking to be done this weekend, but now I can barely contain myself. So much so that I decided at lunchtime today that I simply had to have homemade pizza for dinner tonight....Did I mention I live by myself??

Anyways, here is my pizza dough recipe. I mix mine up in a breadmaker cos it's easier but you can easily mix and knead it yourself.

Kylie's Pizza Dough
7g dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups plain flour
olive oil
cornmeal / polenta

A) Mix the first 4 ingredients into a small bowl. Cover with clingwrap and place somewhere warm for 10 minutes. It's ready to go when its foamy.

B) put the yeast starter into the breadmaker pan and then put the flour on top (or per your machines instructions. Mine does it this way. If you are not using a breadmaker, put the flour in a bowl first, make a well and then pour in the starter. )

C) Select pasta dough programme and press start...or, knead by hand. If kneading by hand, you will need to let the dough rise until it's almost doubled in size. Do this in a bowl covered tightly with clingwrap. If using a breadmaker, your machine will (should) take care of this.

Once the dough has risen, you can either make one thick crust pizza or two thin crust pizzas. If making two thin crusts, split the dough into two. The dough can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen. Defrost in the fridge.

Roll required amount of dough out on a floured surface until it is about the size of the pizza tray you will use. Brush tray with olive oil and sprinkle sparingly with polenta (do NOT go overboard here...I did tonight and it makes for a weirdly crunchy texture, and it's kinda hard to brush off without losing the toppings...just a word to the wise is all). Move the dough circle (or whatever other shape you are going for) onto the tray in whichever way works for you. Half draping it over my rolling pin works for me.

Place your chosen toppings on and awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy you go :D

My pizza had (mostly stuff I found lurking in the fridge...it's grocery day tomorrow) tomato paste from a heap of ketchup sachets I had skulking in the pantry; turkey slices; fat free bacon (ha! Take that freezer! I will empty you); tomato slices; red capsicum slices; artichoke hearts; anchovies; black olives; pesto; and cheese.

Bake in a 210 degree pre-heated oven(non-fanforced if possible. If using fanforced as I have to do (the fan on my stupid oven cannot be turned off), drop the temp back about 20 degrees) for about 20 minutes, taking care that the crust does not burn.

Slice and serve. Yummers ;)

(sorry there are no photos...I got a bit carried away with the culinary creating and eventual eating)
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Day 22 of 31 (or 365) One problem with cooking ones own pizza. It smells soooooo good, that one does not wait until it is cool enough to eat, and therefore burns the roof of ones mouth. To the point where the skin peels off. Yech. But the pizza was totally worth it. Ate nearly the whole thing...