Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Daring Bakers Challenge Oct. 08


PIZZA!!





This was my first month doing the Daring Bakers Challenge, and I got in on a good one, as my family LOVES pizza.
First, thanks to Rosa at Rosa's Yummy Yums for hosting this month's challenge.
Our challenge was pizza and toppings. So...as we have a wide range of tastes in this family, I headed to the grocery to hunt up some FIXINS!! NEVER take two young girls with you to pick out pizza toppings.
The pizzas we wound up with :

  • pepperoni and black olives, 1 thin 1 thick crust (these would be the "kids choice award" pizza)
  • prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, basil (on a traditional red sauce, traditional cheese)
  • shrimp, spinach, artichoke heart, prosciutto (why waste the stuff) (on an garlic olive oil base, with tomato basil feta cheese)
  • apple crumble (homemade apple pie filling and crumb, on a unbaked crust) drizzled with a basic glaze



I LOVED this dough. It played well thick and thin, rose right, had a great texture and handled fairly easily. Sadly, there are no pics of me tossing, I already had my camera dropped once this week, so I was NOT allowing my remaining lens to be broken by an underage cameraman! Tossing doesn't work so well for me, I am a hand to hand, pulling my fingers apart as I go girl, then pop it down, pull it towards a circle and let it be!
Here are some befores of the pepperoni and the prosciutto basil



My little helper kneaded for me, as you can see, but by the time we were headed to the fridge she was pooped. She was also my chief pepperoni spreader on day 2
(the ones she didn't pop into her mouth).

I cut my dough into 6, so I could make small pizzas, and we had some leftovers,
even with 5 of us eating in this house.



I found my right baking temp to be 425, on a preheated stone, got a great crust on them, nice and sturdy, but not tough. I will say this is the ONLY time I've seen pizza crusts eaten in this house that had no toppings on them, poor poor birdies tomorrow, no snacks.
Here's a view from the oven:



I hope you enjoyed our foray into the pizza world!! We enjoyed it, and will def do it again, but I do have MUCH more appreciation for Paul, "THE PIZZA MAN" at our favorite pizza joint!

And..just to make you drool, a few "afters" of the pepperoni and the apple cobbler!




16 comments:

SugarEd Productions said...

Oh my I want that cobbler now! can I have recipe? Abi lookls so cute!

Ruth said...

Your helper is so cute. All your pizzas look so good but I am drooling over the cobbler pizza

Heather said...

Thanks so much Ruth and Sharon!! Ruth, there's some left over, you're welcome to it (kids are sleeping so you won't have to fight for it)

Marye said...

wow they look great! You did an awesome job.

marye
bakingdelights.com

tanya said...

Awww...what a cute little helper! Great job on the pizzas and welcome to the Daring Bakers!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Great looking pizzas! Yes, your helper is very cute!

Cheers,

Rosa

Unknown said...

"shrimp, spinach, artichoke heart, prosciutto (why waste the stuff) - on an garlic olive oil base, with tomato basil feta cheese"

OMG does that scream YUMMY!

Unknown said...

oh yummy Heather!!
I want some!

Great job.

Mata Family said...

Those pizzas look yummy!!! I'm with Sharon- I want that apple recipe! Great pics and adorable helper!

Heather said...

Apple is easy guys. I cut them up, tossed them with some flour, put them in a sauce pan with some sugar and brown sugar, kinda to taste. Then some cinnamon and a tablespoon butter, cooked till it was cooked down some. Then I put it on the crust, and I made some crumb with butter, sugar and flour and cinnamon, sprinkled it on, and baked it off till it was brown and crunchy.

Dragon said...

Congratulations on your first DB challenge! Your litte sous chef is adorable. :)

Jacque said...

Heather, all of your flavors sound wonderful! I'm intrigued by the shrimp pizza... I'm thinking I would like that one.

Great job and your little girl is getting so big!

Dewi said...

Oh, your little helper is so cute! Your pizza look absolutely delsicious!

Brooke said...

Ohhh!!!! You just made me so hungry. I am seriously calling dh to bring me home some pizza tonight, not homemade, but still yummy, will have to try making it on my own another day.

Penny said...

Your Pizzas look great!!!

Jacque said...

Hey Heather! I'm giving you an award... you can find it at:
http://daisylanecakes.blogspot.com/2008/11/september-october-recipe-roundup-and.html

If you don't want to do all the rules stuff, no prob... I just wanted you to know I enjoy your blog :)