Three "birds", one stone

Pizza is a home favorite. Probably most of you are big fans. We love the Friday night pizza and movie night when we eat our pizza while vegging out to a movie. Tonight the plan is to make a pizza for me (vegan) and one for the cheese addicts of the house hold, AND, make a loaf of whole wheat bread for the week to come.

Recipe:

*whole wheat bread*

Active dry yeast - 1 packet


Whole wheat flour - 6 cups or so


Hot water - 2 cups 

Salt - 1 tsp


Agave nectar or other liquid sweetener i.e. maple syrup or honey- 

4 tbsp


Olive oil or oil of your choice- 1/2 cup 

vital wheat gluten- 9 tsp ( for a fluffier result) optional

Makes 2 loaves or two 8 inch pizza crusts and 1 small loaf 

Measure the water, and heat it to the correct temperature (little hotter than room temp). Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid, add oil and sweetner and let this sit for a few minutes. This is called proofing the yeast, and ensures that the yeast is fresh and active. When the yeast mixture rises and starts bubbling, proceed with the rest of the bread recipe.

Measure part of the flour into a bowl, and add any other dry ingredients. 

Make a depression, or well, in the center of the flour, and add the dissolved yeast and other liquids. Beat well to combine.

Gradually add the rest of the flour until the bread dough becomes difficult to stir. At this point, flour your work surface and dump the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Begin kneading the dough.

To knead, turn the dough over several times, gathering any stray particles. Fold the dough in half towards you, and push away with the heels of your hands. Turn the dough one quarter turn, and repeat this process until the dough is smooth, elastic, springy, and no longer sticky. This will take from 5 to 10 minutes. Doughs made with bread flour typically require more kneading than those made with all purpose flours.

Grease a large mixing bowl lightly with shortening.

Place the smooth, kneaded dough into the bowl, turning it over so the top is greased as well. This step makes sure the dough doesn't dry out as it rises. Cover with a clean cloth and place in a warm spot. An electric oven with the light turned on, or a gas oven with the pilot light are perfect places for rising.

Let the dough rise until double in bulk. This means the dough increases in size, and when you press your fingers into the top, the indentation remains when you remove your fingers. Punch down the dough, and turn it onto a floured surface. Shape according to the recipe.at this point separate dough into three balls. 1 for loaf pan and the other two for crusts. roll out crusts for pizza on a floured pizza pan or cookie sheet. 

then poke all over with a fork to avoid air bubbles. ready to top! 

loaf of bread- Place the dough in greased loaf tins, or on a greased cookie sheet for freeform loaves. Cover and let rise again until double in size. This second rising will take less time, because there is more yeast in the dough. Just before you put the loaf in the oven, slash the top diagonally, three or four times about1/4” deep with a serrated knife. By making these cuts, we enable the bread to expand. THE TEXTURE BECOMES MORE AIRY AND LESS DENSE.  

Add a brush of melted (non-dairy) butter before & after baking for a softer, richer flavored crust. Bake the bread in a preheated oven. The bread should rise a bit in the oven too - this is called 'oven spring'. Bake until golden brown. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap it with your fingers. Remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack, then stand back as your family attacks it.

  Okay, back to pizza. Top with your favorite pasta sauce or use my method- open a can of tomato sauce in a bowl, add 1 Tblps of olive oil, 1\2 tsp of dry oregano, basil, garlic powder (or fresh) , onion powder, and parley. Wellah! top the pizza with sauce, your fave vegan cheese and veggies and what ever else you like on it!  Bake off at 375 till edges of the pizza are golden brown and the cheese is melted. This, needless to say was a hit with the family! 

And, even the neighbor for that matter!  

Automatic five star dinner! you can also par-bake the second crust for 8 minutes and freeze for your next pizza night!