Pizza by Peter Reinhart

October Daring Baker Challenge

The challenge this month is hosted by Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums. Rosa chose the pizza recipe from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Maker's Apprentice. This is a wonderful recipe that I've made a number of times to great reviews from my family. In the past, I've topped this pizza with herbed pesto and edam, the classic pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, or ground buffalo and a variety of Italian cheeses.

This time I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about fried sage on pizza. It turned out beautifully and we barely had enough of the sage leaves left from the batch I fried up to put on the pizza. Now we have a new topping option for our family pizza night.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup corn flour
1 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
2 tsp chia seed meal
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold (40 degree Fahrenheit)
1 Tb sugar or agave syrup
Cornmeal flour for dusting

DAY ONE

1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl.

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. If the dough is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with parchment paper. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or fewer pieces if you want to make larger pizzas).

5. Sprinkle some corn flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with oil. Slip the pan into a plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to three days.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on a shelf in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven at hot as possible (500 Degree F/260 Degrees C).

10. Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9 - 12 inches/23 - 30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180 g piece of dough).

11. Lightly top the dough with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jally pan. Close the door and bake for about 5 - 8 minutes.

13. After baking 2 minutes, take a peek at the pizza. For more even baking, rotate the pizza 180 degrees.

14. Take the pizza out of ht eoven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3 - 5 minutes before slicing or serving.


Topping

Olive oil
Minced fresh sage leaves
Minced shallot
Fried Sage leaves

1. Spread olive oil over the top of the dough. Sprinkle the minced sage and shallot over the top.

2. Place the fried sage leaves on the top of the pizza just before serving.


Fried Sage Leaves

handful fresh large sage leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup water
pinch salt
smidgeon black pepper

1. In a small bowl, place in the brown rice flour, water, salt and pepper, then stir. Dip each leave into the batter and allow the excess batter to drip off.

2. In a heavy sauce pan, pour in 1 inch of olive oil and heat to 365°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Fry sage in batches, turning as needed. Using a pair of tongs remove the sage leaves from the oil and place in a paper towel lined pan to drain.

Pumpkin Leek Soup - Gluten Free

The leaves have begun to change and are showering the landscape with their bright colors. Pumpkins are covering the ground all around the vegetable market along with yellow, orange and burgundy Chrysanthemums. The Fall vegetables are arriving at the market, leeks, spinach, and squashes. With Fall all around me and my chilly toes talking to me, I wanted to make a warm hearty soup for my family to enjoy.

I had brought home a number of leeks as they have a delicate and sweeter flavor than onions. Leeks have manganese, Vitamin C, iron, folate, Vitamin B6 and very few calories. Leeks can be used a wide variety of ways from chips, soup or tarts.

Leeks are relatively new to the Americas where they were only in use by 1775 by both the colonists and natives, but they have been used throughout history. There is evidence from tomb paintings that the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians cooked with them. Notably, they were a favorite of the Emperor Nero, who liked them in his soup and ate so many he became known as Porrophagus or leek eater. They are so beloved by the people of Wales that they are one of their national emblems.

To prepare your leeks, trim away the wilted or damaged leaves from the outside. Trim away the tops of the leaves. Then cut the leek in half beginning at the end of the white part and going all the way to the end of the leaves. Next, turn the leek over and repeat the last step so that the green leaves are cut into quarters. Fan out the leaves and wash the leek under running water to remove the dirt. After chopping the leek you may find dirt in between the white layers. Place the chopped leeks in a colander and rinse well to remove the dirt. If you would like to see how this is done, visit Jacques Pepin's website for a video on how to clean leeks.

I made the Pumpkin Leek Soup recipe from Colavita, but I needed to make a couple of adjustments for time and personal flavor preferences. This is a robust soup, filled with the flavors of leeks, pumpkin and spices. I served it with warm gluten free rolls and a light salad of mixed baby greens. It was a delightful meal to sit down to on a cool fall evening.

Recipe

1 Tb butter
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 medium leek chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tb dry white wine
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground sage
pinch rosemary leaves
1 Tb chopped pecans

1. In a skillet, saute the chopped leek in the butter and olive oil until they have softened. Pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and allow the leeks to cook for about 10 minutes.

2. In a stock pot, pour in the rest of the ingredients and the leek broth mixture. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped pecans and serve warm.

What did my family think? My children weren't fond of the flavor of the soup, as they didn't like the spices. My husband and I thought it was warm and delightful.