Eating Local...Pizza Della Casa

If you've been to this blog before you know that I make a lot of bread and a fair amount of pizza, and most of it is made using 100% whole wheat flour. This is the case of the pizza pictured here. And I'm proud of this pizza (not that I'm not proud of other pizzas I've made). What I'm proud of is that it can't get much more local or hand made than this (unless I grew the wheat and made the cheese). Anyhow, the dough was made with my own hands (okay, I used a machine to mix it) using all whole wheat flour. I used the basic bread dough recipe listed below and turned half into pizza and the other half I baked as a loaf of bread. The sauce was made with tomatoes I grew in my front yard. The broccoli, peppers, and eggplant were grown in my front and back yards. I can't believe what a slacker I am that I didn't have time to make the cheese... :)

Anyhow, as mentioned, the dough recipe is below; if you'd like other ideas for pizza, to see them being made, or a couple other recipe for the dough (one made with white flour and one made with brown rice), click here.

 

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 2 loaves

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
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4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups water
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1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons instant yeast
3 teaspoons kosher salt

In one bowl make a preferment by combining 2 cups of whole wheat flour with 2/3 cups water and 2 teaspoons of instant yeast. Begin the autolyse in another bowl by combining 4 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 1⁄2 cups water. Stir each bowl just enough to combine the ingredients, taking care not to get yeast into the bowl with the autolyse. If the contents in either of the bowls need more water, add a small amount. Cover both bowls and allow to rest and ferment for 30-90 minutes, during which time the preferment will begin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and the autolyse will soak the grain, swelling the gluten.

After an hour or so, combine the ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3 teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it loosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.

Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Urban Simplicity.