Friday is pizza night around my house. We make our dough from scratch and throw on whatever we picked up at the local Farmer’s Market that morning. Sometimes it’s just a low key dinner and other times we invite our friends over to make their own unique concoctions. With summer coming, the pizza usually ends up getting cooked on the grill. Pizza is such a social food and can be topped with endless varieties of fresh veggies, cheeses, meats and sauces, that there is always something to please even the pickiest of eaters.
My current favorite pizza dough recipe is from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (one of my top 10 favorite books of the year). Make the dough, let it rise, roll it out, top with your favorite toppings and throw in the oven or on the grill.
A few of our favorite topping combinations…
Asparagus, Ricotta and Lemon Zest
Fresh Mozzarella, Kalamata Olives, Fresh Basil and Tomato Sauce
Carmelized Onions, Blue Cheese and Fresh Thyme
What wine to pair with pizza? For most pizza combinations made with a rich tomato sauce, go for a red wine with lower acid levels to balance the acid in the tomato sauce. We recommend a medium-bodied Zinfandel or Syrah. A lighter pizza such as the asparagus and ricotta combination would also pair nicely with a crisp, unoaked Chardonnay. For almost any pizza combination, you'll usually find The Climber Red Wine from Clif Bar Family Winery on our table, a jammy blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot and Petite Sirah that is loaded with fruit and really well balanced.
Pizza Dough:
3 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups warm water
2 ½ cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tbs Olive Oil
Dissolve the yeast into the warm water and add oil and salt. Mix the flours and knead them into the liquid mixture. Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes.
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