Sherry's baking secrets

Sherry is my older sister, the only one who really understands yeast. I convinced her to share her secrets with me, to keep me from throwing my bread dough against the wall. Yes, that has happened. She has four children and has managed not to throw anything (she says).

This is for Candace, who fears yeast

I was at my St. Benedict class this
morning, so here, from The Rule:  be obedient to the yeast, fear the yeast,
defer to the yeast, laugh only quietly around the yeast, be humble before
the yeast, be content with the yeast, with all your heart and in what you
say, do not consider yourself better than the yeast, be quiet and do not
speak until the yeast beckons you.

Let your humility show whether in the computer room, the living room, or the oratory, and you will soon reach that perfect love of the yeast, and you will carry out everything, once done out of fear, naturally and without effort because of habit, not because you fear hell but from good habit, joy, and love of the yeast; the worker, you in short, will be cleansed of vice and sin.

I used to think that yeast breads were going to be something only Mom could do, but they are surprisingly forgiving. The old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook has a pizza dough recipe that is stirred together barely. Okay, I will go get it.

Mom gave me the Betty Crocker Cookbook in the 1980s in my single gourmet phase, and over the years I grew to appreciate the standard recipes it contains. 

Pizza New-York Style in the manner of Sherry

Go to page 40, Betty Crocker Cookbook 1978. Breaks all the rules and makes an unusual, barely stirred and unkneaded pizza dough.

I pre-cook the crust, which helps the cook avoid all sorts of pizza problems. You can freeze the pizza crusts wrapped in 2 plastic grocery bags.

Pizza.  Makes two medium pizzas.  A good approximation of a New York style pizza, given that one doesn't have the bakers' oven to properly cook the pizzas, one of the reasons to pre-cook.

• 1 package active dry yeast or 1T. bulk yeast

• 1 cup warm water 105 to 115 degrees.  Microwave 1 cup water for a minute.

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 T. vegetable oil

• 2 1/3 c. all-purpose or whole wheat flour. (Note: whole wheat will use a bit more water).
  

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in remaining ingredients; beat
vigorously 20 strokes.  Let rest about 5 minutes.

Divide dough into halves.  Pat each half into 11-inch circle on lightly
greased cookie sheet with floured fingers.  I pat it out and also use a small rolling pin, which goes a bit faster. Spread sauce over circles.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, hamburger, onion, green pepper and mozzarella cheese.
                                                                                  
Cook in 425 degree oven until cheese is light brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Pre-cook the crust until it is golden, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Then, right away or later, make the pizzas.  The cookbook provides
standard American pizza ideas, which look tasty.  I use mozzarella and my marinara sauce; sometimes I like to lightly oil the top of the crust and sprinkle on Italian herb seasoning. 

Atomic Ale in Richland strews chopped garlic and fresh basil over the pizza.  Try this; it is very good. 

My pizza is pre-cooked, so I need only melt the cheese and brown the bottom crust, avoiding another problem, how to get the bread cooked without burning the top.  This only takes 5 to 7 minutes in the 425 oven.

Sherry's Marinara The Easy, The Quick, and The Good
Of course, a bottled sauce will do. But if you have the time, here's an easy alternative.

• 15 oz can tomato sauce, any brand

• 1 T. olive oil

• 2 or 3 stems and leaves of fresh basil or oregano (to remove later) or chop the fresh herb.  You can used dried herbs: 1 tsp dried oregano and basil or Italian herb mix

• 1 clove garlic, pressed

• salt to taste

Put this into a 2-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup; stir and cover with a glass
cover. Microwave on high 2 minutes.  It can be used at this point if needed right
away, or--if there is time-- simmer at Level 1 for 10 or 15 minutes, covered.

One flour bowl, pizza pans, 1 measuring cup, and 2 spoons to clean. Now if
this yeast dough looks bad, it can still be kneaded in the normal fashion
and rolled out.

Sherry's favorite after-baking activity.