TT's long winded blog about fast Pizza and Inexpensive Granite

Alright for those that know me here, you already know I like photos so it will be no surprise to you thats theres gonna be a bunch (browndog, you'll be glad you got dsl). 

Some months ago a nice fellow named Crumb Bum gave me a compliment about my experimentations, and not always following the bread books.  I really appreciated that and try to hold true to it still today.  I enjoy, and learn loads from all the books I have purchased on bread, but I like to do my own thing as well. 

With that in mind, I refused to go on the rules that it takes at least a half a day to 2 days to make pizza dough.  I wanted to make Pizza from scratch in the time it takes to get home delivery, all by hand.  And I wanted it to be good.

Here are those Pizza's, all 3 made in about an hour start to finish

Garlic and Cherry Tomato with Cheese

Sausage, Tomato, and Cheese Pizza

The recipe:

• 908 Grams Flour                                       100%
• 600 Grams Water                                        66%
• 29 Grams Salt                                               3.2%
• 14 Grams Instant Yeast                            1.5%

Take flour and mix in yeast then salt. 

Add water to mix, and incorperate into a wet mass.

Drop mass onto unfloured counter. 

(Note: I use an unfloured surface for this after reading a great explanation from Richard Bertinet that any flour you put on the counter that incorperates in your bread changes the recipe.  This way, the end result is true to your recipe.)

Now once on the counter I use a stretch and fold, over and over until I get a nice shaped ball, and most of the dough has come off my hands and back into the mass. About 6 minutes

From here I cut into 3 pieces 455 grams each (16 oz.) These are for Large 16" Pizza's.  I will end up with a scrap about 103 grams (3.5oz.). 

I shape these 3 into balls and put into a container oiled lightly with Olive Oil to set for 30 minutes.

After about 15 minutes I took the lids off and placed the containers in plastic 1 gallon plasitc bags and sealed. I also start preheating my oven to 500'F. with my pizza stone in the oven.

After 30 minutes I start making a pizza round.  I do pat some flour onto the dough at this point during sizing because the dough is already made, I am just making it easier to work with.

At this point I place them onto pizza screens to build the pizza.

Once built put it into the oven for 8 minutes, during this time start making your next pizza on a second screen.  As the first comes out put in the second, tranfer 1st pizza from screen to cutting board and use that screen to start making your third pizza.  At the end you will have baked 3 pizzas in 24 minutes.

....

Now for my notes on cheap granite.  I am a big fan of low prices.  Someday granite counters in my kitchen would be a great thing, but in the meantime I go for what I can afford.

In Bennington VT, theres a little place called Camalot Village, its a craft center of sorts.  One of the vendors there is a kitchen counter contractor who puts his scraps out for sale (CHEAP).  I was able to pick up a nice piece of Black Granite 18"wide by 5' long and a solid 1" thick for $40.00us.  Now at $50-100 dollars a square foot at a stone counter store this is a great deal.  This is a little over 7 square feet for less than 1 at the store.

It is my own personal "Big boys cutting board".  Now its a little heavy to move around a bunch, but I think its cool.  And its a great work surface for my breads.

Just something you could look into if you wanted.  There are kitchen contractors all over and they surely have to have scraps after jobs.  A little hunting around and you can find what you want.

TT