Sourdough Pizza Base
Prepare the sour dough starter as per instructions. Each is different,
but
must be originated with several days of "sitting." After it
is
done, you can leave it in the refrigerator and "feed it" occasionally
with
some sugar. After it has had a chance to get ready, you can use some of
it
for this Pizza crust. Be sure to replace the amount taken away for each
recipe and replenish it: Usually with equal parts fresh flour and water.
3/4 cup sourdough starter sourdough (already wet with its own
water)
1 3/4 cups flour (I've never used whole wheat, but if you do, remember
that
whole wheat crusts take longer to rise, add at least an extra hour of
rising
time)
1/4 cup cornmeal (with some extra to sprinkle on dough in pizza pan)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 cake or packet of dry yeast (teaspoon in UK money)
1/2 cup warm water ( or instead 1/2 cup of beer for rich, yeasty flavour)
3/4 TBS. fake fat (This is an american thing - I prefer two table spoons
of olive oil)
Pizza Topping
3/4 Cup Tomato Pizza sauce ( Alternately make your own using tomato puree/
a pinch of salt,
about a teaspoon of dried basil and pepper to flavour and some groud paprika)
Tofu 1 full size block of Tofu (3 oz or so)
8 or 9 stalks of asparagus
1 can Creamed corn
Italian spice mixtures, mixed Oregano, etc.
Paprika
Preparing the pizza base
Prepare the pizza crust with either a bread machine set to dough-mode,
rising in about 2 hrs, 35 min. OR you can do it yourself. It is easier
in
the bread machine. If you do it yourself, you should let the dough rise
twice, each time about an hour. (Self: Mix warm water, and fake fat. Take
1/4 cup of warm water and mix it thoroughly with the yeast--set aside
for
about 5 minutes before mixing it in the water. Add flour TO the water
mixture slowly. Knead thorough. You might have to add more flour to the
mixture in order to get it quite sticky and gooey. Cover and let rise
in a
warm place for an hour. Re-knead it with some more flour if necessary
to
keep it from getting too sticky, and re-rise it for another hour)
Adding the pizza topping
Grease the Pizza pan. Flatten dough out, making a nice large
"spare-tire" on the outside perimeter (i.e. roll up the edges
of the crust.
. Sprinkle some extra cornmeal on the dough. Paint the tomato sauce on
to the pizza.
Chop the asparagus on to the
pizza, throwing away the fibrous ends, or carefully peeling away the outside
fiber. Partially drain the creamed corn and spread it on the tomato sauce.
Cut up the tofu and spread it around. Dust with Italian spices and paprika.
Cooking the pizza
Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes (ALWAYS preheat an oven
that
you are baking a pizza in). Watch carefully, oven times vary extremely
with
pizzas. You must get to know your oven before you dare leave it alone
with a
pizza baking in it.
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