Homemade Sourdough Pizza & A Giveaway

By
Chris
– January 18, 2012Posted in: Dinner, Lunch

sourdough pizza

I’ve been meaning to share this recipe for a couple months now. I’m pleased to finally be able to do so.

It’s not for lack of trying. Honestly. It’s just that… Well, we were hungry!

Every time I made sourdough pizza with the intention of getting it photographed, we caved in and said “Oh we’ll just photograph it next time” as we sliced the pie up and dug in. Of course, the next time we would say the same thing.

But hey, here we are, and not only are we finally sharing the recipe but a fun giveaway too! First, let’s talk about this long overdue pizza.

sourdough pizza

I’ve been baking pizza for years and years. It was always a special treat when Mom would break out the pizza dough and let us kids add the toppings ourselves. Being a parent now I can understand why we didn’t do this all the time- what a mess we must have made! Heck, I’m an adult now and I still make a mess making pizza. But I love it. It’s so fun – and tasty. I’m really looking forward to making pizza with Baby Boy.

sourdough pizza

Living in Northern NJ, of course we have amazing pizzerias here. I think NYC is the only place with better pizza than NJ (sorry Chicago). And I’m not saying I’m some kind of pizza guru, but I will say this – we eat pizza often, but we order it rarely. Homemade is just that good that once you get the hang of it. You don’t want to order out.

Let me just say this – I like making pizza so much I figured out how to do it when I lived in Japan. I didn’t have a real oven, just a toaster oven. Stores didn’t sell yeast or olive oil (at least nothing comparable). Tomato sauce? Let’s just say theirs was the equivalent of ketchup water. Oh, and forget about mozzarella cheese. It wasn’t happening. Thank God for Costco being in Japan (well worth the 2 hour trip).

sourdough pizza

So let’s talk about this specific Sourdough Pizza recipe. Prior to owning a sourdough starter, I would alternate between Tyler Florence’s pizza dough and Alton Brown’s pizza dough. Tyler’s is great for a thin, crunchy crust and is better for cooking on short notice. Alton’s recipe is a bit chewier, tastes even more amazing if you let it rest in the fridge over night, and is still my go to dough for stromboli making.

But after getting a sourdough starter, we now exclusively make sourdough pizza. The flavor and texture of the crust just can’t compare – and that’s saying a lot holding up to Alton and Tyler.

If you have a sourdough starter, this recipe is especially great because it uses up your cup of unfed sourdough starter you need to discard before feeding and baking with your dough. So rather than let that starter go to waste, make yourself a tasty sourdough pizza.

If you don’t have sourdough starter (but you really should! ) I’d recommend you try out Tyler Florence’s pizza dough or Alton Brown’s pizza dough.

sourdough pizza

Print
Homemade Sourdough Pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed (straight from the fridge)
  • 1/2 cup hot tap water
  • 2 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a hook attachment, combine all ingredients. Mix on medium low until all ingredients are incorporated and you have a firm ball. If dough is still very sticky, add about 1/8 cup of flour at a time until dough is firm.
  2. Remove dough from bowl and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Kneed by hand for about 1 - 2 minutes, then form into a ball. Place the dough ball in a medium mixing bowl that has been coated in olive oil or cooking spray. Lightly toss the dough ball in the bowl to coat in oil/spray. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Place covered bowl in a warm area (I like putting in my oven with the light on) for 2 hours or until about doubled in size. You can make ahead and keep in fridge for 1 or 2 days.
  3. Transfer risen dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll out with rolling pin or spread with your knuckles to desired crust thickness. Transfer dough to a pizza peel, if baking on a pizza stone, or onto a pizza pan or baking tray. Top with sauce and favorite toppings.
  4. Bake in a preheated 500 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes - until cheese is bubbly and crust is browning.
  5. Enjoy your home made pizza!
http://thekeenancookbook.com/dinner/homemade-sourdough-pizza-a-giveaway

Giveaway: Shenzhen 6″ Ceramic Chef’s Knife

We were contacted by Shenzhen Knives, a maker of ceramic knives, with the opportunity to review their product and give away one 6″ ceramic chef knife to a reader. Since I’m a kitchen geek and I love all sorts of gadgets, appliances, pans, and knives, I figured why not!

I received my knife in the mail and carefully read the instructions that came with it. Unlike steel blades, a ceramic knife is much more fragile – obviously. Instructions warn against dropping the knife on hard surfaces, or cutting on china or ceramic plates. And being ceramic, you need to be careful about using force. You can’t twist the knife or use it to pry, and you shouldn’t cut hard or frozen foods.

So understanding all of that and being careful with it, I set about using it.

I found the blade to be incredibly sharp, cutting effortlessly through a variety of fruits and vegetables. It’s also now my favorite knife to trim meat with, and I’ve gone to it a couple times already for cleaning up pork butt or chicken breasts. As far as knives go, this one is a great all purpose knife.  Treat it with the respect it deserves and you won’ t be disapointed!

I’ve only had it a few weeks, so can’t talk to its longevity, but currently I’m quite happy with it. And I hope you’ll enter the giveaway so you get the chance to try this ceramic knife out too.

One lucky reader will receive a Shenzhen 6″ Ceramic Chef’s Knife. To enter, you must Like and Follow Shenzhen on Facebook and Twitter. See the following Rafflecopter form for full details and additional chances to win. Good luck and thanks for joining!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please Note: We were not compensated for this review. We were provided one 6″ ceramic chef knife for review and to keep. Our review and opinions are our own and were not influenced by Shenzhen.

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