I apologize for such a long time since I posted a Blog! Today's post is special, it's one of my favorite recipes. For my favorite pizza dough! That's right pizza dough! I worked part-time at a pizza shop many, many years ago and became really good at making pizzas! I told my friend Laura I had the recipe and would share it with her! That was super Bowl Sunday! But at long last here it is!
4 1/2 cups unbleached flour (preferable chilled0
2 tsp salt (maybe a little less)
1 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups cold water (really cold, like ice water)
Stir the flour,salt, and yeast together in a bowl or mixer. If you have a dough hook, use that. Mix in the oil and cold water. Do this for 5 minutes or so. Switch directions a couple times to mix things up evenly. If the dough is sticking to the sides sprinkle in a bit of flour. If the dough doesn't stick to the bottom of the bowl and a bit (tsp) of cold water. (those last notes were for using a dough hook in a mixer). Mix should be cold still.The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Put flour on the counter and your hands. Then put the dough on the counter. Cut the dough into 4 or 6 pieces and roll into balls. Put the balls on a cookie sheet that has been misted with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap. (make sure to put spray oil on the plastic wrap or it will be a pain to get off!) Put in the fridge and let it rest overnight.
About 2 hours before you make your pizza, pull the dough out of the fridge and let it stand at room temperature. Then with a flour covered counter, stretch the dough out to the shape of a pizza! Small stretches as you turn the dough is the best method I have found. If you cut out dough into 6 pieces then the pie should be about 12 inches in diameter.
I use a pizza stone. I put the oven as hot as I can get it, about 500. I start the oven, with the stone in it, about an hour before I put in the first pizza. Corn meal on the stone keeps the pizza from sticking. Once the pizza is in, close the door and wait 2-3 minutes, then check it. You may have turn turn the pizza 180 degrees to bake evenly. After about 8-10 minutes the pizza should be finished. Lift the crust with a spatula to check the bottom for crispness. If the crust is crisp and the cheese is brown it's done! If the bottom gets crispy before the cheese and toppings are browned then the stone needs to go on a higher rack. If the cheese and toppings are browned before the crust is crispy then it needs to go down a rack. WARNING! The rack is hot! If you have to move it, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
I hope you like the dough! The olive oil makes it so soft and tasty! Some people use vegetable oil but I recommend the olive oil. For the best results. Any questions just post them here in the comments and I will respond as quick as I can!
Thanks,
Steven
P.S. The directions are the best I can remember. The measurements are right though, (I wrote them down) I have a quick sauce recipe too. It's a real good one that you don't have to cook ahead of time! Let me know if you need it.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Exercise!
Welcome everyone!
Well as I promised, I'm am now going to tell you about my exercise routine.It's easy and you can do it until you're 100, or more! I'm not even joking!
Not everyone knows this but I am a yoga instructor. I have been doing yoga for 10 years now. I bet you are thinking "Steve, why did you start doing yoga?". Well it's simple really. An ex of mine and I broke up our relationship and she took everything, basically. I had a TV, a VCR (remember those), a futon, and a dining room table. After a few nights of sleeping on the futon I could barely move! BTW "futon" is Japanese for "unwelcome houseguest", or so I have been told. Back to what I was saying, my back hurt! As I was digging through stacks of VHS tapes on the floor trying to find something to watch, I found a tape called "Back Care Yoga". It was 2 AM and I thought to myself, "I'm just going to see what this is all about". So I watched it, didn't look to hard, nobody is going to see me doing it, I gave it a try. It was really basic and actually it was easy! After that I went to bed on my worn out futon. I slept better than I had in years! So I did the tape every single day!
After a couple weeks the tape was boring so I went and looked for more tapes and did them. Then I bought books about yoga. Then I started going to yoga seminars and taking classes! I practiced everyday for about 2 hours! I got really good at it! At last I was offered the opportunity to get certified to teach a yoga class! I am now certified to teach 3 types of yoga! Hatha, Astanga, and my personal favorite Power Vinyasa. I taught the Astanga yoga to fill in for a studio owner who was going on maternity leave. Once she came back, I started my own class on Saturdays.
I haven't taught a weekly class in just over year. Over this last year I have honestly not been practicing like I should be. I am getting back to it now though. My body has been stiff and sore lately and I haven't had the energy I used to have, when I was practicing regularly. It takes a commitment of time and as much effort as you can muster but the payout is unbelievable! If you want to stay limber or get more limber you can practice once a week. That is a good lace to start. If you want to really get your body going then practice 3 times a week. To really change your life around, do it everyday!
You can do it like I did with tapes and books. A class is nice because an instructor can point out the things you are doing good and give tips to improve the areas you need help in. For the most part, instructors are a caring group of people! You may have a teacher that you don't care for or be trying a style you are not fond of doing, but don't give up! Try a different style and/or a different teacher! There is a class someplace that you will fit in and enjoy! Just go at it with an open mind and an open heart! Don't worry if you can't do a pose your first class! You may not get a certain pose until you are in your 150th class! The important thing is to keep trying! Don't worry if you are not very limber or can't touch your toes, that will change with time. Keep at it! If you have a hard time standing on one foot that's okay, it just means you need to practice. Keep at it!
You can't take free weights on vacation. You can't take a treadmill on vacation. You can take a yoga mat on vacation! A good yoga mat only $20. A $20 yoga book packs easy too! Take them everywhere! Yoga can also be done by people of any age! How many 70 years old people lift weights? I know half a dozen that do yoga. why wouldn't someone want to learn an exercise program that they could use until they are in their 70's, 80's, or older!
In closing, that is what I do for exercise. I have had some amazing results and amazing experiences doing yoga. This is the story I share with everyone. Including the college health class I give a presentation to every spring semester. I hope you give it a try, if not, I hope you can find some exercise program you do like and give that one your all!
Have fun everyone! Namaste!
Steven
Well as I promised, I'm am now going to tell you about my exercise routine.It's easy and you can do it until you're 100, or more! I'm not even joking!
Not everyone knows this but I am a yoga instructor. I have been doing yoga for 10 years now. I bet you are thinking "Steve, why did you start doing yoga?". Well it's simple really. An ex of mine and I broke up our relationship and she took everything, basically. I had a TV, a VCR (remember those), a futon, and a dining room table. After a few nights of sleeping on the futon I could barely move! BTW "futon" is Japanese for "unwelcome houseguest", or so I have been told. Back to what I was saying, my back hurt! As I was digging through stacks of VHS tapes on the floor trying to find something to watch, I found a tape called "Back Care Yoga". It was 2 AM and I thought to myself, "I'm just going to see what this is all about". So I watched it, didn't look to hard, nobody is going to see me doing it, I gave it a try. It was really basic and actually it was easy! After that I went to bed on my worn out futon. I slept better than I had in years! So I did the tape every single day!
After a couple weeks the tape was boring so I went and looked for more tapes and did them. Then I bought books about yoga. Then I started going to yoga seminars and taking classes! I practiced everyday for about 2 hours! I got really good at it! At last I was offered the opportunity to get certified to teach a yoga class! I am now certified to teach 3 types of yoga! Hatha, Astanga, and my personal favorite Power Vinyasa. I taught the Astanga yoga to fill in for a studio owner who was going on maternity leave. Once she came back, I started my own class on Saturdays.
I haven't taught a weekly class in just over year. Over this last year I have honestly not been practicing like I should be. I am getting back to it now though. My body has been stiff and sore lately and I haven't had the energy I used to have, when I was practicing regularly. It takes a commitment of time and as much effort as you can muster but the payout is unbelievable! If you want to stay limber or get more limber you can practice once a week. That is a good lace to start. If you want to really get your body going then practice 3 times a week. To really change your life around, do it everyday!
You can do it like I did with tapes and books. A class is nice because an instructor can point out the things you are doing good and give tips to improve the areas you need help in. For the most part, instructors are a caring group of people! You may have a teacher that you don't care for or be trying a style you are not fond of doing, but don't give up! Try a different style and/or a different teacher! There is a class someplace that you will fit in and enjoy! Just go at it with an open mind and an open heart! Don't worry if you can't do a pose your first class! You may not get a certain pose until you are in your 150th class! The important thing is to keep trying! Don't worry if you are not very limber or can't touch your toes, that will change with time. Keep at it! If you have a hard time standing on one foot that's okay, it just means you need to practice. Keep at it!
You can't take free weights on vacation. You can't take a treadmill on vacation. You can take a yoga mat on vacation! A good yoga mat only $20. A $20 yoga book packs easy too! Take them everywhere! Yoga can also be done by people of any age! How many 70 years old people lift weights? I know half a dozen that do yoga. why wouldn't someone want to learn an exercise program that they could use until they are in their 70's, 80's, or older!
In closing, that is what I do for exercise. I have had some amazing results and amazing experiences doing yoga. This is the story I share with everyone. Including the college health class I give a presentation to every spring semester. I hope you give it a try, if not, I hope you can find some exercise program you do like and give that one your all!
Have fun everyone! Namaste!
Steven
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