Pizza dough

Ingredients

  • 3 3/4 cups flour (whatever variety you prefer)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons instant or other active dry yeast
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups room-temperature water
  • extra virgin olive oil for the pan

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and mix until blended.
  2. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume (approx 2 hours)
  3. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface.
  4. Gently form into a rough ball.
  5. Divide into two halves.
  6. Cover with a moistened kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
  7. Oil your pizza pan (or baking sheet).
  8. Place the dough inverted on the pan (flour side up, moist side down).
  9. Using your palms, gently pull, press and stretch the dough to fill the entire pan.
  10. There is no need to make a crust or lip around the edge.
  11. Ensure the dough is a consistent thickness on the entire bottom of the pan.
  12. If the dough sticks to your hands while stretching, lightly dust it with flour or coat your hands with oil.
  13. The dough is ready to top as you like.

Notes

  • Pre-heat the over to 500F with the rack in the middle.
  • Bake for 25 minutes until the edges are slightly charred and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan.
  • This recipe makes enough dough for two pizzas, simply half the recipe for a single serving.

Banana walnut bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup of your favourite sugar (date, for this batch)
1/2 cup honey
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 medium)
2 cups of your favourite flour (barley, for this batch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
vanilla (as much as you like)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (I like lots)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Melt the butter and add to sugar in a large mixing bowl and blend in
3. Add beaten eggs, vanilla, and bananas - blend until smooth
4. Add both flours, salt and baking soda
5. Stir in hot water and walnuts
6. Place batter into two small loaf pans
7. Bake 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.
8. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Complete cooling on a wire rack.

Makes two small sized loaves (or one medium loaf as pictured here).
Pairs well with coffee ... and company.

Pancakes

Wet Ingredients

1 egg

2 tbsp oil or melted butter

2 tbsp liquid honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup really mashed banana (use only really old brown bananas for best flavour)

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1 1/2 cups liquid (1 cup soy milk, 1/2 water but you can substitute whatever liquid you like)

Dry Ingredients

1 2/3rds cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 c. ground almonds

1 c. of fresh blueberries

Directions

Combine all wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix - but don't overmix the batter. If it's really thick - add more water, 1/4 cup at a time. If it's too thin, add more flour, 1/4 c. at a time.