California Dreaming

Dave and I were in Los Angeles over the weekend and we stayed with our gracious friends Pete and Erin in the lovely Los Feliz neighborhood.  As I've mentioned previously, Pete is an accomplished at-home cook and on our last night in California we decided to stay in, drink wine and prepare a fantastic meal. Turns out, Pete had been meticulously honing his pizza dough recipe, so we decided it was only appropriate to try it out. After a dreamily sunny day of brunch, cruising Mulholland, walking Abbot Kinney and dipping our feet in the Pacific, we arrived back at Pete and Erin's ready to make some pizza.  Pete stretched his risen dough into six perfect circles while I made a big green salad. The pizzas cooked on the grill and we anxiously waited until each one arrived at the table.  We were joined by my brother, Joe and my surrogate big sister, Shawn, who brought some amazing Cuban desserts from a local bakery.  It was the perfect night filled with conversation, laughter and, most importantly, lots of great pizza.  

Pete's Pizza Dough

makes 6 pizzas

4 cups high gluten bread flour (such as King Arthur brand)

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp instant yeast

2 1/4 cups ice water

olive oil

cornmeal

Lightly oil a baking sheet.  Set aside.

Whisk together dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, detached from the mixer.  Add 2 cups of the ice water.  Blend with a rubber spatula until a ball of dough is formed.  Attach bowl to stand mixer and using the dough hook attachment, knead dough on slow speed.  Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup ice water and continue mixing until the dough barely sticks to the bottom of the bowl.  Allow dough to knead for 10 minute.  Slowly add 1/4 cup of olive oil and allow dough to knead for another 5 minutes, until dough is smooth.  Test the dough for doneness by pinching off a small piece and pulling and rotating it gently until it forms a very thin membrane.  If it tears easily, knead for a few more minutes.  If the dough forms the thin membrane without tearing, the dough has been kneaded appropriately.  

Shape dough into a log on the oiled baking sheet.  Cut the dough into 6 equal parts and form each part into a ball.  Using your thumbs, push the outside edges of each dough ball into the center and pinch the dough to seal.  Repeat this process 2 to 3 times or until the ball forms a smooth, taught skin.  Place balls back on the oiled sheet pan, leaving plenty of space between each ball.  Cover dough balls lightly with olive oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.

When you are ready to make pizzas, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it in a well-oiled bowl.  Let dough sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, but no more than 3 hours.  Preheat pizza stone on the grill or in a very hot oven. Carefully work the dough into thin rounds, place dough on a cornmeal-dusted pizza wheel, apply your pizza toppings and transfer pizza onto the hot stone.  Bake until the crust is done and the toppings have melted.    

An easy, green salad.  Toss arugula, frisee, edamame, mint and parsley with a lemon vinaigrette.  Green, healthy and fresh.

Shredded Parmigiano Reggiano.  Salty and decadent.  No Italian dinner is complete without it.

Roasted California brussels sprouts.  Warm with crispy brown edges.  Delicious.

Margarita pizza with San Marzano tomatoes and creamy burrata cheese.

Sweet, brown, caramelized onions and salty gorgonzola cheese top this gorgeous pizza.

Sauteed fennel, crispy bacon and sage.  

A simple cannellini bean salad with fried sage, fresh parsley and a red wine vinaigrette.  Hearty and flavorful.   

Sinfully delicious cheese danishes and chocolate croissants from Porto's Bakery.  The perfect ending to this wonderful meal.

Peter, most likely thinking about his rising pizza dough as we head back to the car from Venice Beach.