Posts Tagged ‘best pizza blogs’

Marching Orders

Here are some pizzas and breads I created this weekend. The first was an elaborate mixing and intriguing bake of the Greek communion bread Prosphoro. I had to bake it starting at 120F first then upward to 160F, 195F, 230F and 300F for approximately four hours so it stayed the same and kept the holy seal that I stamped into it after proofing.

I definitely want to try this again even though my ovens don’t even go to 120F. nyuk

Next is a delightfully large Turkish-style Pide (Pee-Day) with cashew butter, fresh spinach, Yukon gold potato pudding with cilantro and roasted leek, shaved andouille sausage and calabrian chilies.

Despite a case of major tennis (bakers) elbow, I managed to create some ginormous Torpille a baguette, or what I call torpedoes.

After turning up my ovens to 700 degrees (F), I used some bodaciously proofed sourdough to bang out a culatella Fiochetto pizza with baby kale, Parmigiano Reggiano and Primaterra Farms Purple radish. See how the culatella melts on the hot pie right out of the oven? Delish!

One of my best sellers this weekend was the “Everything Snagel”. My absurd creation that melds all the best of an everything bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, hard boiled egg and red onion. The thing is that I put all these inside and bake these bad-boys. Needless to say, they sold out quickly.

Here’s how I filled them.

Here’s a random interior shot. I need some work on centering I guess.

Next, I did a bunch of “Pop-Top” boules. This sourdough is made with a crazy circular and very deep slash with a very sharp lame or blade. I could barely get these out of the oven.

The first ramps are coming up now and I baked alot on a sourdough Coca here with Gruyere, Woodland Ridge pork belly and za’atar coated ramp-labneh balls with sumac and Aleppo peppers. Love these fuzzy balls.

I finally kicked off some really great Parachute Pizza with knotted crust pulled up. This has baby kale, Piave Vecchio, mortadella and a pistachio-basil pesto on top. A beauty in any language.

See you next week.

Toe tap a flea.

JG

Springtime Ramp Pizza al Metro

 

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All I can say about spring is “Let’s ramp things up.”

For weeks now, I’ve been knee deep in ramps and my huge wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano has dwindled considerably from all the ramp pairing I’ve done.

Here is a killer pie with all the fun stuff of spring; Ramps, yellow beets and  Parmigiano Reggiano.

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Usually this is just perfect but I’ve decided to go really nuts and added Soppersata Friuli, edible violets and some great pea shoots from the Farmers at the Athens Farmers Market.

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First I started with a thirty hour, cold fermented dough made with Manitoba wheat at fourteen percent protein. It was leavened with my age-old starter with a little extra virgin olive oil. I flattened this baby really long and stretched and stretched… and proofed some more….and stretched. I then added a few handfuls of ramps. (Never skimp on ramps because then will melt to nothing on a pizza.)

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I then cooked this baby in a 630 degree oven until the parm was just melted and the ramps wilting nicely.

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Then it was time to add the yellow beet from Shade River Organic farms. I roasted these in a foil bag with the skins on at 350 degrees for 45 minutes then left them to steam even more for hours until they cooled. (This ensured a deep, sweet beet flavor and no crappy black spots.) I then skinned and sliced them- perfect for a mid cook, pizza topping.

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After the browning of the crust was complete, I added the sopperasata to melt completely on the still-hot pie, then I waited a little longer to put the pea shoots and violets.

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This baby rocks!