The other day I wrote about my first solo
attempt with yeast. I made a pizza that day. Today I made another pizza today. At
first I didn’t think it would work out. Then, ultimately, especially upon realizing
that I needed to start really small with making changes, making only very minor
ones now as I get started.
At first I was trying to thin out the
crust too much, which delayed my second attempt by a day as I considered that
the dough may need more time to prep; it didn’t really need more time, I needed
to stick with what I knew & continue on that path for now. And that’s what
I did ultimately do.
One change I did make was my “sauce”. The
last time I made it, as well as the time when I was learning a few months ago,
a thin layer of ricotta cheese was used for the foundation. I’ve had an open
jar of Tahini paste (pure sesame seeds in the form of paste), from which I made beet hummus a few times, waiting to be
used again. I found the texture of the paste to be appropriate for the base of
a pizza. At the last moment I decided, in continuing with my “small steps”
mantra, to only use the Tahini paste (this is an Amazon link) as the foundation layer on one side of the
pizza; the other side remained a fine layer of ricotta cheese.
As the baking began & the minutes
began adding up, I could clearly identify a unique smell in the oven; though
slightly concerned, I prevailed. Last week’s pizza was topped with arugula,
diced dried tomatoes, a garlic clove, & diced cremini mushrooms. I’d topped
this pizza with diced dried tomatoes, freshly seasoned ground beef, one garlic
clove, & plenty of parsley.
When it came out of the oven & I cut
into it, it not only smelled heavenly, it looked it as well. Colorful as well as
thoughtfully laid out. I think the pizza cutter rolled through this finished
product with more ease than the other pizza I made. Then I bit into it. I hadn’t
even checked which foundation I’d cut into. It was the one with the Tahini
paste. Just a bit or two & I knew I’d be using the Tahini paste again for
the foundation of a future pizza; it was divine.
To make the yeast dough I’ve been using 00 flour (this is an Amazon link as is the image in the top left corner). It’s a particular flour especially for pizza dough & it’s been
superb for the task. I learned about a few new-to-me flours when I learned how
to make the pizza earlier this year. Instead of using an all-purpose flour, it
makes a better quality pizza dough, & as it is an intentionally protein
rich flour, there’s more protein in it to be consumed.
Ultimately, solo attempt baking with
yeast, a.k.a. pizza number two, equals complete success!
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