What are you baking this weekend ?

This morning I made parbaked pizza bases for the freezer (and the neighbours !). Before you all slam me for making pizza using frozen bases, let me explain that this is part of our new economy drive, and I figure we can save a fortune on takeaway if I can throw a pizza together at very short notice. Also, parbaking lets me get my crust really quite thin, which is how we prefer our pizzas. The freezing doesn't seem to hurt them at all. So...the kitchen is now covered in flour, but I have 20 bases made.

pbases.jpg

Is anyone else baking this weekend ? I think I need to make a cake as well. Maybe tomorrow !

Celia

Well, pizza of course.

Ditto on the pizza, probably for dinner tomorrow night.

But that's all I'll have time for as I have to work pretty much all weekend.

Pizza here, too. Lots of them on Sunday.

I'm also making a triple-ginger pound cake tomorrow.

This morning I made parbaked pizza bases for the freezer (and the neighbours !). Before you all slam me for making pizza using frozen bases...

*C*,

No slam from me. When I make a “thin crust” pizza, I place the unbaked flat sphere in the freezer for two days. The result, when baked, ends up being extra crisp. It is not so much of a necessity in the winter, but an obligatory process in the summer when it is so humid.

I hope those are not beet root and Vegemite pizzas you are preparing.

Dave, I've never tried that ! What happens if you just freeze the pizza dough for longer than a couple of days, without parbaking ? Do you need to defrost it before topping and baking, or do you just proceed with the dough frozen ? And btw, there is nothing wrong with either beetroot OR vegemite, smarty. Just maybe not together on a pizza. Having said that, small boy did ask for a vegemite and cheese pizza this morning, so it might not be as bizarre as you imply...

Traci, please let us know how the triple-ginger cake goes ! Please post a photo - I love ginger. There is an interesting recipe for ginger and chocolate cake which I'm hoping to try soon. Maybe tomorrow !

We just got in our semi-annual supply of Vegemite at work for the Aussies that arrive with the group on Monday. Clearly an acquired taste.

Stop spreading it so thick !!!

And btw, there is nothing wrong with either beetroot OR vegemite, smarty. Just maybe not together on a pizza. Having said that, small boy did ask for a vegemite and cheese pizza this morning, so it might not be as bizarre as you imply...

Oh, no worries, Celia. But I guess that is why we have a Social Services Department and a Child Protection Agency so things like that never occur up here.

Not sure how thick your crust is going to be. Mine is really , really thin so I never have to defrost. Depends too if you are using a stone. For a thin crust I use a stone and for a thicker crust I use a "screen".

And btw, there is nothing wrong with either beetroot OR vegemite, smarty. Just maybe not together on a pizza. Having said that, small boy did ask for a vegemite and cheese pizza this morning, so it might not be as bizarre as you imply...

Oh, no worries, Celia. But I guess that is why we have a Social Services Department and a Child Protection Agency so things like that never occur up here.

Ha ha, you'll keep.

My prob with the really thin crusts is actually getting it onto the stone, Dave. Ours are pretty thin, and I find if I don't parbake, it's almost impossible to slip the topped base onto the stone unless I use a sheet of parchment paper. Oh, maybe it's me, I don't want to get cornmeal all over the floor, so I don't dust the peel heavily...

I baked 60 cinnamon rolls yesterday. Topped them with an espresso icing.

rwj

Going to cassoulet night at my pal Nilo's tomorrow evening. That means the only other things that get put into my body this weekend are lots of alcohol and a cardiac catheter.

Sour dough bread here. Three loaves, plus enough sloppy dough to make sour dough pancakes on Sunday.

Those parbaked pizza bases look interesting. Maybe I'll use the same basic dough and make a few as an experiment.

Regards, Bob

My prob with the really thin crusts is actually getting it onto the stone, Dave. Ours are pretty thin, and I find if I don't parbake, it's almost impossible to slip the topped base onto the stone unless I use a sheet of parchment paper.

To solve this problem I usually put the crust directly on the stone, and then add the toppings. Depending on the oven it can be tricky for your hands, but it works.

Pizza as always, and then I thought I'd try the blood orange tart you guys have been talking about. Just put in the refrigerator, ready to bake tomorrow. Looking forward to it..

Bob, I've never been able to make sourdough pizza crust work to my liking. Not sure why, since all the other bread we make is sourdough, but I can only get the crisp crust I'm after with regular yeast.

Rahsaan, thank you, but the problem with topping the pizza directly on the stone is that I preheat the stone first - so it's far too hot to handle. Might have to stick with our parbaked method.

I baked 60 cinnamon rolls yesterday. Topped them with an espresso icing.

rwj

Sounds delicious, Cowboy !!! Did you take photos ?

Rahsaan, thank you, but the problem with topping the pizza directly on the stone is that I preheat the stone first - so it's far too hot to handle. Might have to stick with our parbaked method.

I also preheat the stone, it's always in the oven.

But when I'm ready to cook the pizza, I just slap the crust down on the stone, perhaps nudging it around a bit, but I don't really have to touch the stone with my hands. Then I add the toppings.

I baked 60 cinnamon rolls yesterday. Topped them with an espresso icing.

rwj

Sounds delicious, Cowboy !!! Did you take photos ?

Sadly, no. But we all know what cinnamon rolls look like. Today I made my now famous (at least in the kitchen at work) Leftover Oatmeal Bread.

rwj

Cornbread, of course, which is almost an every meal ritual. And, Di Saronno Amaretto Cake (like rum cake, but....you know).

Jo Ann, would you mind sharing your corn bread recipe. I just can't get it as corny as we would like. Thanks, Bob

I'm going to try, Bob. But, this is one of those recipes I have been making since I was 10 years old, and I don't use any measurements. These are the ingredients, and the measures as best I can estimate. One note, the density of your bread will depend on whether or not you use oil in the batter, and how much. If you like a heavier, more dense cornbread, use no oil in your mix. If you prefer a lighter bread, use oil or butter in your batter. I like a little lighter bread, with just enough sugar to balance the flavors. But, if I am cooking cornbread to make dressing, I will not use the oil, since it will be used for other purposes and mixed with other textures and ingredients. Here goes:

Corn Bread (all ingredients are approximate)

1 C flour
2 C yellow corn meal
1 - 2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp melted butter (or cooking oil)
1 large egg
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C milk
1 Tbsp oil (for baking pan)

Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Add 1 Tbsp oil to an aluminum or Pyrex pan (8" x 8" square, or 9" pie pan) and place in hot oven to heat oil while preparing mix. In a mixing bowl add dry ingredients and stir to mix well. In a separate bowl, beat egg together with butter (or oil) and milk. Add to the dry ingredients. (May need to add a little more liquid -- this is hard for me to gauge. But the batter should be slightly stiffer than cake batter.) Once oil is hot (but not smoking) add batter to the pan (on impact, edges will slightly fry and curl up around batter). Put in oven and bake about 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

Variations
I have seen this called Mexican corn bread, Mexicali bread, Confetti bread, etc. You decide. We've always done this)
To the above recipe, add 1 additional Tbsp oil and use to saute about 1/2 C chopped onions, 1 clove garlic, 1/3 C green pepper or red bell pepper and 1 large jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped) until tender. (no additional oil will be required in the recipe.) Reduce milk to 1/4 C and add 1/4 C sour cream, 8 oz can cream corn, 1 C grated cheese. Add to batter and bake as above.

Herbed Corn Bread (I take this shortcut when preparing to make cornbread dressing. Also good just as cornbread served with roast pork.) to the above basic cornbread batter, add any or a combination of the following: about 1 Tbsp rubbed sage; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp celery seed. Sometimes, if I have breakfast sausage left over, I will crumble it and add it to this recipe. This is always a hit. If using sausage, omit butter or oil. (When I was a child, my kinfolk used to add cracklins. I didn't particularly care for this as the cracklins were a little hard and ruined the texture of the bread for me. But, my mother and mother-in-law still long for it occasionally.)

Bonus: Cornbread Salad
Use left over cornbread and add the following for a pleasing side salad that most people haven't had. All measurements approximate.

1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed
1/4 C green pepper, 1" slivers
1/4 C red onion, 1" slivers
1/2 C slivered celery
3-4 roma tomatoes, seeded and largely diced
2 Tbsp dill or sweet pickle relish, drained
1/4 - 1/3 C mayonnaise

Add first four ingredients to crumbled, left over cornbread and stir together. Just before serving, mix together the pickle relish and mayonnaise. Add tomatoes to mixture and just enough of the mayonnaise mixture to gently moisten the ingredients. Salad should still be grainy like cornbread, but slightly moist. Serve as is or at the last minute top with crumbled bacon or dry roasted peanuts. Especially good with barbeque and roast chicken. That'll knock their socks off!!!

Enjoy!

Jo Ann, I'm going to try this, thanks for posting it !

Celia

Bonus: Cornbread Salad....

Thanks Jo Ann - I may make this for the NiagaraCOOL picnic in June.