It's a Pizza Pie!

I've made it no secret how much I adore Mark Bittman's recipes. So when I had a craving for pizza this week, it's no surprise that the dough recipe I went with came from his website.

The recipe itself is extremely minimalist, and guaranteed you are likely to have everything you need already in your kitchen.

Baking times will vary based on where you are and if you're using a pan or a stone. I used a pan and baked mine for 20+ minutes because I like a crispy crust.

You can use it same day (allow at least 2 hours rise time), or make ahead and freeze for when you need dinner fast. Also, the recipe calls to be mixed in a food processor but I didn't feel like cleaning it all up after so I just mixed it all by hand in a large bowl.

Mark Bittman's Pizza Dough

3 cups AP flour

2 tsp. instant yeast

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

Combine flour, yeast and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add olive oil and 1 cup water through the feed tube.

Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is still dry, add another tablespoon or so of water and process for another 10 seconds. (In the event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time.)

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. (You can cut this rising time short if you’re in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours.) Proceed to Step 4 or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or a zipper bag and freeze for up to a month. (Defrost in the bag or a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature; bring to room temperature before shaping.)

When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and divide it into 2 or more pieces if you like; roll each piece into a round ball. Put each ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with flour, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rest until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Bagels!!

I was shopping today and craving bagels. Big, fresh, doughy, delicious bagels. The specialty bagel shop was already closed when I got there, and I won't purchase the supermarket alternatives, so I opted to make some myself!

Bagels are extremely simple and rewarding to make. Breads can be daunting to some, but I found a fantastic recipe that start to finish, takes less than an hour.

Their shelf life is not as long as their grocery store counterparts, but that's a good thing. The best thing about making your own bagels at home: you know what's in them! My boyfriend bought some recently at the grocery store that eight weeks later still appeared to be good - scary!

4 cups AP flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. canola oil

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups warm water

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff or you are having trouble incorporating all the dry flour.

Drop the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about ten minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.

Cut the dough into eight equal-sized balls, and let rest for 10-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll into a little snake on the surface. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around one of your hands. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers. Take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll the two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfect circle.

Let the bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes, and meanwhile bring a large pot of water to boil, and line a baking sheet with parchment. Rub parchment with a splash of vegetable oil.

After 20 minutes have passed and dough has risen, add them to the pot, as many as will fit at a time without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil another minute. Take them out and let dry for a minute. Place them on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.

Bake bagels for 10 minutes, flip them over, and bake 5 to 10 minutes more until they are golden brown.

Let cool for 20 minutes and enjoy.