RECIPE: Pizza Dough From Scratch

Pizza Dough From Scratch
for BCLiving
March 2022  

Some things are just better when they're made from scratch, not to mention that making something “with your own two hands” gives such great satisfaction. When you do this, you will know exactly what ingredients went into your meals, and because of that, it gives you wiggle room for dietary or taste preferences. From Scratch is the way to go... 

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Pizza Dough 
 
In 2020 I gave some tips about making your homemade pizza even better, and one of the most important ones was making your dough from scratch! 

There are many ways you can do this, and much of it depends on time. But if you plan ahead you’ll get some of the best homemade pizza you’ve ever had! 
 

INGREDIENTS: 

- *1 ½ teaspoons of yeast or 1 tbsp 
- 2 cups of lukewarm water  
- 1 teaspoon of sugar  
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour  
- 3 cups of 00 flour (or AP flour) 
- 2 teaspoons of salt  
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil  
- semolina flour 
 
- pizza sauce and toppings of your choice 

INSTRUCTIONS: 
 
*If you are making the dough for the same day, use 1 tbsp of yeast. If you are going to cold-ferment it overnight, use 1 ½ teaspoons 
 
Place the yeast, sugar and lukewarm water in a bowl and whisk together. 
Let it sit for 15-30 minutes until you see it is bubbling and smells yeasty. 

Stir in the salt and the olive oil, and then add 2 cups of AP flour and 2 cups of 00 Flour. 
Mix loosely and add more flour until the dough isn’t wet, and then let rest for 10 minutes. 

Transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead until the dough for five minutes. 
Cover with cling-wrap or a tea towel and let sit for 10 minutes so the water can absorb more. 
After this rest, knead for 4-5 more minutes until you have a smooth ball. 

Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rest until it doubles in size. This can take anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on your environment. 

Once the dough has doubled you can cut into 3 or 4 even pieces (depending on the size you’d like), and then shape into balls. 

At this stage, if you are using it right away, let them rest on an oiled sheet pan a while longer. 

If you are cold-fermenting them, place some semolina flour on a sheet pan, then place the balls on top, and then smooth some olive oil over the top so the crust doesn’t get hard. 

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and you can place it in the fridge for 12-72 hours (longer it ferments, the more flavor). 

Before you use the dough, remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. (At LEAST an hour). 

You can shape your dough balls either with oil or semolina on the counter. Do NOT use a rolling pin! 
Press your fingers into it to create the crust and work the dough from there. You can use your knuckles and slowly rotate the dough to stretch it out as well. 

Place semolina on a pizza peel if using a pizza stone and then place the dough on top, followed by your chosen sauce and ingredients and then place it in the oven. 

Cook the pizza at the highest temperature that your oven has, and cook for about 5 minutes (watching it the whole time) and with a few mins left after the crust has started to rise, turn the broil on to give the crust some color and cheese a bit more melt. 

Every oven is different, and the time of year and your location will make for differences in rise, so write down your progress and take notes – adjusting as you go – to find your best dough and crust. 

ENJOY YOUR PIZZA! 

RECIPE: Pierogis From Scratch

Pierogis From Scratch
for BCLiving
February 2022

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I’m not going to sugar coat it (dessert pierogi’s do sound good though), making these little dumplings from scratch can take some effort, but it is 100% worth it. 

Put a movie on or binge a TV show while you work, and then before you know it, you’ll have packed your freezer and your belly with some delicious pierogi goodness. 

Feel free to get creative with your filling, as the potato makes an easy, creamy base for whatever you can think up.  

Make Approx. 50-60 Pierogis 

INGREDIENTS: 
For The Dough: 
- 3 cups flour (more for rolling/dusting) 
- 1/2 tsp salt 
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil 
- 1 cup of water 
 
For The Filling: 
- 3 russet potatoes 
- approx. 1.5 cups cheddar 
- salt and pepper 
- approx. ½ cup milk 
- 2 tbsp butter 
- Optional: 5-6 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped finely 

For Cooking & Topping: 
- 2 tbsp butter and/or olive oil 
- 1 onion 
- olive oil 
- chives and/or green onions 
- sour cream 
(all optional) 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
If using, cook the bacon and let cool, then chop into fine pieces. 

For The Dough: 
Measure out the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add in the salt and combine, then add the water and oil and begin to bring the dough together with your fingers. 
 
Once loosely mixed, dump on to a clean, floured countertop, and continued to knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball – approx. 10 mins. 
Cut the dough in half, and wrap each half with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes* at room temperature. 
*Make the filling(s) during this time. 
 
For The Filling: 
Potato is your base here, but you can add whatever you’d like into it. Cheese (different kinds), bacon, caramelized onions etc. 
Scrub and peel your potatoes, and then cut into cubes. Cover with cold water, and then bring to a boil on the stove. 
Let the potatoes cook at a rolling low boil until you can pierce them easily with a knife (around 10-15 mins-ish). 
 
Drain and then place the potatoes back in the pot. Add the butter, and then either with a potato masher, or a hand mixer, work the potatoes until they're smooth, while slowly adding some milk as needed. Do NOT use an immersion mixture as this will make the potatoes way too starchy. 
Lightly salt and pepper to taste. 
 
Now is the time to add whichever extra filling you’d like – for this recipe I used cheddar and bacon. Stir until evenly combined and then let cool to room temp, so you don't burn yourself when making the perogies. 
 
To Make the Perogies: 
 
Roll out half the dough until it's about 1/8 - 1/16 inch thick (very thin) - either by hand, or in a pasta maker. 
 
Use a round cookie cutter, or a glass, floured, and cut the dough into circles (or ovals). Place on a floured cutting board, or cookie sheet, while you do the rest of the dough.  
Re-roll any leftover dough bits to maximize the amount of you can make. 
 
When the half of dough is ready and cut, grab a small bowl of room temp water. Place the circle of dough in your hand, and fill with about a heaping teaspoon of your filling of choice. This amount will vary with the size of your circles - it may take a few tries. 
 
Dip a finger in the water bowl and run it around the edge of your circle, and then fold in half over the filling. I started pinching it together to seal it from the middle and working towards one edge, then doing the other. 
Place on a floured surface and cover while you make the rest of the perogies in this manner. 
 
Keep going until all of the dough is gone! 
At this point, you can freeze the pierogis on a flat surface until solid and then place in a freezer bag. 
 
To Cook: 
 
(*If you want to have caramelized onions for a topping, it's good to make them first, as they take some time. 
HOW TO: Cut an onion into half-moon slices, and then add to a frying pan that is on medium heat, with about a tsp of olive oil. Stir every few minutes, and you can add a sprinkle of salt as well. It will take them about 25-30 mins to caramelize. Keep warm while you make the perogies. 
 
Boil some salted water in a large pot. and then drop the perogies one by one into the pot. You can do about 10 at a time max, as you don't want them to stick together (or the bottom of the pot). 
[If you're one of those people that eats perogies just boiled and not fried, skip the next part and plate your perogies.] 
 
In the meantime, heat some butter and/or olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When the perogies have cooked (about 3 mins) and rise to the surface (it may take a minute or two longer if you're cooking them from frozen), scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them in the frying pan. 
 
Cook them until they're golden brown on both sides. 
 
Place them on a plate, and top with your desired sides and toppings. 
ENJOY!

RECIPE: Pasta From Scratch

Homemade Pasta
for BCLiving
December 2021

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Making pasta from scratch is not as daunting as it might seem, and the time invested is 100% worth the reward. You don’t NEED a pasta maker just a rolling pin and a sharp knife, but the pasta machine will definitely speed things along (esp. if you have the attachment for a stand mixer). 
 
It may take you a try or two, so give yourself an afternoon to experiment. 

Makes 4-6 Servings  

INGREDIENTS 
 
- 2 cups “00” Flour (AP will also work) - and more for dusting/rolling 
- 4 eggs 
- sprinkle of kosher salt 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
 
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together, and then create a well in the centre. 
 
Crack the 4 eggs into the well, and then with a fork or your fingers, beat them together slightly. Once broken up, start adding the flour from the sides to the mixture, until a loose dough has formed. 
On a floured surface, dump the dough out and begin kneading it for 5-7mins, adding flour as needed if it is too wet. The dough is ready when it is smooth, and if you poke it, it slowly springs back. 
 
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 mins. 
When ready, cut the dough into 4 equal-ish pieces, wrapping the 3 you are not using back in the plastic wrap. 
 
On the floured surface begin to roll the dough into a rectangle, then fold together like an envelope (if you are using a machine you can begin to pass it though). After laminating it a few times, start to roll it (either physically, or on smaller and smaller settings on your pasta maker) until it is quite thin and uniform - continue to thoroughly dust it with flour as needed. 
 
You can now cut it into whatever shape you’d like. If you have an attachment for your machine, run the pasta through and sprinkle with flour again, forming into nests if using immediately. If you want to cut wider strips, fold the sheet of pasta accordion style and cut evenly with a sharp knife. 
 
To dry it, find yourself a pasta drying rack – and it also freezes very well this way! 
 
To cook, bring heavily salted water to a boil, and gently drop the fresh pasta in. It only takes a few minutes to cook (depending on the shape and thickness), so keep watch, and have your sauce ready to go. 
(Note: frozen pasta will take a few extra seconds to cook.) 

RECIPE: Oat Milk

Oat Milk
for Environment911.org - “But Make It Vegan”
January 2022

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If you love non-dairy milk, and are looking for a way to reduce your environmental impact by buying less packaged goods, making your own mylk at home is incredibly easy. 
None more so than oat milk! 

Two, maybe three, ingredients, a blender and finely woven tea towels and you’re set – plus you save yourself a trip to the store. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup rolled oats 

• 4 cups of cold (preferably filtered) water (less if you want thicker milk) 

OPTIONAL: 

• Pinch of salt 

• Vanilla extract  
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add the water, oats and optional ingredients into a blender. 

At high speed for 20-30 seconds (DO NOT over-blend as it will get slimy) blend together. 

Over a large bowl, place a clean, finely woven tea towel, and then slowly pour in half of the mixture (it’s easier to do in stages). 

Gently squeeze out the milk – too hard and you’ll get the oat sediment coming though – and then repeat with the second half of the blended mix. 

Optionally once the milk has all been removed, you can do a second pass through another tea towel to remove any sediment that made it through. 
 
Transfer to your desired containers, place in fridge to cool and enjoy. 
Make sure to shake before consuming as it may separate a bit. 
 
Should last a few days in the fridge/possibly up to a week (give it a smell!).

RECIPE: Homemade Granola for BC Living

Homemade Granola
for BCLiving
January 10, 0222

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One of the best things about making your granola at home is tailoring it to you! If you prefer the granola sweet, you can add more into it from the start. If you prefer your yogurt or milk to be the sweet one, you can leave the extra sweetener out. Hate (or are allergic to) a certain type of nut or berry? There is no need to read labels here! And one of the best things is that you likely have everything to make this in your pantry already, so no excuses...

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups of rolled oats

• Approximately 1 to 1 ½ cups of nuts (your choice, chopped is best)

• Approximately ½ cup of dried berries

• 1 tsp salt (flakey sea salt or a bit less if table salt)

• ½ cup of coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

• ½ cup of honey (or maple syrup)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional: other mix-ables like cacao nibs, hemp hearts etc., plus vanilla or almond extract if you want an extra kick

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line a baking sheet (One large or two small) with parchment paper or a Silpat.

3. In a large bowl, add in the rolled oats, nuts, salt and cinnamon, then stir until combined evenly.

4. Add in the oil (melt the coconut oil if using), maple syrup or honey and mix until everything is coated. If the mixture is a little too dry, add a bit more oil.

5. Turn mixture onto baking sheets and spread evenly. The thinner the spread, and the flatter it is on the tray, the crispier the granola will be.

6. Bake for 10 minutes and then give it a stir (pressing it down again for clumpier/crispier), and rotate the pan(s) 180 degrees.

7. Bake for approximately another 10 to 15 minutes. (The granola will continue to crisp while it’s cooling, so do not over bake it). Next, remove from oven.

8. Let it cool completely, and then add in the fruit. Break it apart with your hands, and transfer to air tight containers.

9. It should last about two weeks. You can also try freezing it, but let warm to room temperature before consuming.

Makes approximately six cups

RECIPE: Virgin Margarita for Dry January

Virgin Margarita
for BC Living
January 13, 2022

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I was looking at the pile of cold, crisp, clean snow that fell the other day, and wondering if I could make that into a cocktail. While feeling cold and dreaming of summer, inspiration came in the form of a slush-style margarita. If you miss that tequila zing in there, I saw on the internet someone suggested a splash of pickle juice, so maybe give that a try if you’re brave (I wasn’t).

INGREDIENTS

• Juice of 2 limes

• Juice of half a lemon

• Juice of half an orange

• Soda water

• Lime wedge for garnish

• Ice – cubed, crushed or snow

• Salt for rim

• 1 oz simple syrup if you prefer sweeter (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Line the glass with salt, if so desired.

2. Mix juice in separate glass together for 30 seconds.

3. Place chosen type of ice in the glass, then pour the juice over, and top with desired amount of soda water.

4. If you find it too tart, add more orange juice.

5. Garnish with lime wedge.