A Better Rolling Pin?

Food Network Western Rolling Pin

My parents always used the traditional "Western version" of the rolling pin.  The roller itself was a heavy marble and the handles made of wood.  Perhaps you have one of those?

So when I purchased my first rolling pin, I purchased what I knew -- the Western (or American) rolling pin.

It wasn't until I started making hand-rolled pasta that I discovered there were options for rolling pins.

Food Network French Rolling Pin

The French rolling pin is a preferred rolling pin for many chefs because it allows for greater control and hand-feel.  I started reading about this pin in quality cookbooks and after several American rolling pin purchases (always too light, not made well, too heavy, etc.), I did a minor splurge and bought a French rolling pin at Kohl's.  The brand is Food Network, it's made of wood, and I think it cost around $13.

Did it make a difference?  You bet!  I tossed the old rolling pin into the donation pile after its first use and have never looked back.

You can better feel the nuances of the dough and have better control of the pressure you apply.  You truly are in complete control of your rolling.

Toss the Western rolling pin and replace it (or supplement it) with a French rolling pin.

Which do you use?  What do you prefer and why?

King Arthur Silicon Rolling Mat

King Arthur Silicone Rolling Mat

I've had several cheap plastic pie crust and dough rolling mats in my life and the thing that moved the most when I was rolling was the mat itself.  I would literally hold onto the mat with one hand while trying to roll with the other.

Many of you know the feeling.

And storage?  They usually are sold rolled and that is how I like to store them, but after a few uses, the sides would never lay flat, but curled like an old piece of paper interfering even more with the task at hand.

I did some research and almost purchased a wooden rolling mat with a lip to keep it from moving across the counter top.  There are actually some pretty good ones available, but I preferred to not have to store another large item in our cabinets when not in use.

I found my solution when browsing the King Arthur catalogue -- their silicon rolling mat.  I made the purchase ($30) and patiently awaited its arrival somewhat unconvinced that it would work.

When it arrived, I was happy with how tightly it could be rolled, taking up very little space.  I was also very happy with its thinness and flexibility.

I unrolled the mat on our laminate counter top and began my first rolling.  The mat stuck to the counter and never moved!  The side ruler and pie crust sizes printed on the mat are helpful and the cleanup was a breeze.  Excess flour slides off and any extra is gone with a quick rinse.

I don't think there is a better rolling mat available.  Do know that you cannot use sharp objects (such as a knife or metal pizza cutter) on a mat like this.

Dump the cheap plastic mat and trade it in for this one.  You won't be disappointed.

The Best Pizza Crust and Sauce

We've made homemade pizza for years, but the crust also seemed a bit soggy in the middle of the pizza while sometimes being overdone on the sides.

I've limped along using various crust recipes and thicknesses with mediocre success (no matter what, it's hard to replicate commercial or wood-fired ovens) until last night.

I spent a few days doing research on what pizza is like in the birthplace of pizza -- Italy -- and made a few adjustments to my pizza making method that paid off huge!

There are plenty of tidbits of information on making a traditional Italian pizza and the origins and pizza scattered throughout the Internet, but I found all I needed in our Jamie's Italy cookbook.

Jamie Oliver took some time traveling Italy and learn the secrets and compiled them in a great Italian cookbook with authentic recipes.  I've had this little secret in our possession all this time, but only now used it.  Ugh!

Anyway, here is what you will need to make this in your home:

• Pizza Stone (Jamie recommends having a slab of marble or granite 1" thick cut for use in your oven)
• Pizza Peel
• Mortar and Pestle (Can do without, but easier if you have one)
• Semolina Flour (Try to not skip this ingredient)
• Quality White Bread Flour
• Fine Sea Salt (I used a celtic sea salt)
• Active Dried Yeast (If you can find SAF instant yeast, use that)
• Golden Caster Sugar (Caster sugar is unrefined sugar.  A Sugar-in-the-Raw type product, but ground finer.  I used the powder from my recent purchase of Piloncillo.)
• Mozzarella Cheese (I grated a store-purchased block.  Try buffalo mozzarella for a true authentic cheese.)
• 28 oz. Can of Crushed Tomatoes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Basil (or dried if off-season)
• Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper

Here are the recipes straight from Jamie's book (followed by my pictures of how I made ours):

Pizza Crust (Pg. 52) (This recipe will make five or six decent size pizzas.  The dough can be separated, wrapped and frozen for up to six months or kept in the refrigerator and used within three days):

• 1 3/4 pound strong white bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups fine ground semolina flour OR strong white bread flour
• 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 oz. envelope active dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
• just over 2 cups lukewarm water (and some more yet during the dry Northern winter months)

Place all the dry ingredients on a clean surface and create a large well in the center.  Mix the sugar, water and yeast in a separate bowl and wait 5 minutes.  Pour the liquid into the well and blend by pulling the sides of the flour mixture into the liquid.  When the ingredients start to stiffen, use your hands to knead the dough for about 10 minutes.

When you have a smooth and elastic dough ball, lightly flour and wrap in plastic wrap.  Let it sit 15 minutes and divide into pizza dough balls.  Roll each ball being used into a super thin (about 1/4") crust.  Place on a pizza peel dusted with semolina flour to help it slide onto the pizza stone.

Top with a little of your tomato sauce and few select toppings and a little mozzarella cheese.

Set your stone on the lowest level of the oven and preheat the oven and stone to 500 degrees.  When it has reached 500 degrees, slide your pizza off the peel and onto the stone.  Bake for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

Use the pizza peel to lift the pizza off the hot stone and enjoy!

Tomato Sauce:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finally sliced
• a bunch of fresh basil (*dried if not in season will work)
• 1 14 oz. can of good-quality plum tomatoes
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Place olive oil and garlic in a pan.  Heat until the garlic just starts to turn brown and add basil, tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Heat through and continue smashing the tomatoes until smooth (about 20 minutes).  Taste and add additional seasoning if necessary.

Garlic Bread: This is a Jamie Oliver recipe using the same pizza dough recipe above and a delicious treat.

• 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Smash the garlic up to a paste in a mortar and pestle (we own the Jamie Oliver mortar and pestle and find the size convenient and the quality amazing) and drizzle in 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Smear over the pizza base and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Make vertical cuts through out and pull the cuts apart to reveal holes.  Sprinkle a touch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and place in a preheated oven and pizza stone at 500 degrees until golden brown.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, cut and enjoy.


Here is my making of our amazing pizza captured in photos:

Start with a good bread flour and don't skip using the semolina flour.

Weigh the ingredients using a food scale to get the right amount.

Use a quality yeast.

Add a quality fine-ground sea salt.

Add caster Sugar to the liquid bowl of lukewarm water.

Then in goes the yeast.

I keep a little flour bowl to the side to keep my hands dusted while kneading.

This is what it looks like when the liquid has been added to the well.

Stir together using a fork being careful to not break a wall and let the liquid out.

When the liquid has been absorbed, start forming a ball with your hands.

The ball will look something like this.

Start the kneading process (like giving a great massage) for about 10 minutes.

Lightly dust the finished ball, wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes.

The tomato sauce ingredients.  I used a 28 oz. can of crushed Roma tomatoes.

Add the garlic and oil first until the garlic starts to brown.

Add basil, tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Place your stone on the lowest level of your oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Get your rolling pin ready.

Throw down some semolina flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut a chunk of cheese from your mozzarella block.

Grate using a Microplane grater (for ease).

The cheese is ready for melting!

Roll your dough super thin.

The odder the shape the better!  It means it's real.

Get the dough rolled to about a 1/4" thick.

Place on a peel that's been dusted with more semolina flour.

Add your sauce.

Add the toppings (just cheese in this case).

Slide onto your preheated stone.

9 minutes later -- perfection!!

Look at that cheese!

The kids loved it too!  A crisp crust all the way through!

For the garlic bread we crushed the garlic cloves and olive oil in the pestle and mortar and brushed it on the dough.  Make a few slashed and pull apart for crispy baking and easier slicing when it's done.

Top with fresh parsley and sprinkle a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper on top.  Slide onto your preheated stone for about 7 - 9 minutes.

Cut and serve.  Delicious!

So simple, but so amazing.

I think you will find this absolutely amazing.  I know we did.

This is obviously not gluten free.  I am still working on trying to master that one.  If you have any idea son gluten free crusts let us know.  Or, if you try this pizza recipe, let us know how you liked it!

A Bread Pan Designed for Gluten Free Bread

A special bread pan for gluten free breads?  Yep!  And it really works!

It's slightly narrower than a traditional pan and slightly taller.  The measurements are 9" x 4" x 4".

This pan is made by USA Pans for King Arthur Flour and can only be purchased there for $17.95.  It features a lifetime warranty and is coated with an all-natural silicone that releases breads with little or no greasing.

King Arthur occasionally run a discount of 20% when three USA Pans are purchased at one time through them, which is how I got ours.

Why this pan?  Because gluten helps traditional bread rise, gluten free yeast breads tend to be squat in appearance compared to their wheat counterparts.  This pan gives them the added support needed to create a more traditional looking loaf of bread.

While this is designed for gluten free yeast breads, I made a gluten free banana quick bread using the pan today and it turned out better than when I use a traditional pan.  The loaf had great form and the bread was baked nicely throughout.

I use it for gluten free yeast and quick breads and highly recommend it.

By the way, I used the gluten free banana bread recipe found on the back of Bob's Red Mill 32-ounce all purpose flour bag that can also be found here.

The bread was so delicious the kids each had three slices!