Big Game Bash – Bobby Flay

I was just visiting over at the Food Network website when I laid eyes on this pizza. My mouth immediately started watering! (Bobby Flay has that effect on me too!) I knew that I had to share this with my readers. Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!

Pizza with NY Strip, Blue Cheese and Balsamic Glaze

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Prep Time:
55 min
Inactive Prep Time:
2 hr 20 min
Cook Time:
15 min

Level:
Intermediate

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
Balsamic Glaze:

2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steak:

1 (12-ounce) NY strip steak
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pizza
1/2 recipe Pizza Dough rolled into 2 (10-inch) rounds, recipe follows or 2 store-bought pizza dough
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (recommended: Cabrales)
Grilled steak
1 bunch watercress, coarsely chopped
Balsamic Glaze
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

For the glaze:

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the steak:

Heat grill to high. Brush steak on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill to a cutting board, tent lightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

For the pizza:

Heat the grill to high.

Brush both sides of the pizzas with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, divide the Monterey Jack cheese over the top of each one and then sprinkle with the blue cheese. Place back on the grill, close the cover of the grill and grill until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Remove to a flat surface, divide the steak between each pizza, then top with the watercress Drizzle with some of the balsamic glaze and sprinkle with some of the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Pizza Dough:

2/3 cup lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for oiling bowl
1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons coarse salt

In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until the mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour, as necessary, to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth about 5 to 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.

Lightly oil the sides and bottom of a large bowl with oil, add the dough, turn to coat in the oil, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle that is 1/8-inch thick. Brush off excess flour and transfer the dough to a baking sheet, cover each circle of dough with plastic wrap and continue stacking rolled out pieces on top of each other. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.

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Proofing Bread Dough

A reader has asked me to further explain the term “proofing” used in my post Honey White Bread.

In my own words, proofing is the second rising of your dough. It works better at a warm temperature, so many cooks proof their bread dough in a warm (not very warm though!) oven.My oven has a proofing feature, so it does the work for me. However, if your oven doesn’t have that feature, merely turn your oven on for a few moments, then turn it off. This should make the temperature inside your oven around 100 degrees F… perfect for proofing your bread dough.

Also, please take a look at this video which further explains “proofing.”

 

Honey White Bread

I love making this bread because it smells so beautiful, and because it tastes really good too!

Normally I wouldn’t do something like bread for a New Year’s Eve recipe, but since Madison county is covered in ice, and it’s now snowing, I decided that a nice homey bread-baking recipe is in order.

What really makes this smell so wonderful is when you scald the milk with butter, honey and salt. I like to use desert honey because it has such a wonderful taste and smell, but any honey will do. (List of ingredients plus all instructions are put together at the bottom of this post.)

Ingredients –

2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup honey
2 tsp. salt
2 cups water
11 cups bread flour (approximately)
2 pkgs. active dry yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water, 110 degrees F
1 tsp. sugar or honey

Grease four 9-inch loaf pans.

Combine milk, honey, butter and salt in a saucepan.

Bring to scalding temperature – nearly to a boil, at 185 degrees F.

Put the scalded mixture into a bowl and add the 2 cups water. Add 1 cup flour. When the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water with sugar or honey. Let sit to proof, approximately 5 minutes. When the yeast is foamy, it is ready to add to the lukewarm milk mixture.

Add the rest of your flour, or enough to make a workable dough and knead for 10 minutes, or five minutes in your stand mixer. Both are pretty satisfying… if you have a stand mixer, it means you don’t have to do the kneading yourself. If you don’t have a stand mixer, or if you truly enjoy the process of kneading, then you get the pleasure of taking out your frustrations on bread dough!

Place dough in a large bowl which has been greased or sprayed with PAM. turn the dough over so that the top of your dough has a slight coating of grease or PAM, then allow to rise in a warm place until approximately double in size. I put mine in the oven because I have a “proofing” option.

When the dough has risen, punch it down. Trust me, it’s very satisfying. Let it rise again. Evidently I had some pretty active yeast, because my second rising worked remarkably well!

After your second rising, divide dough into four loaves, placing the loaves in your previously greased pans. Again, allow to rise until nearly double. While the dough is rising preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. When your loaves are ready, bake in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour until they are a crusty brown and sound hollow when you tap on the top of the loaf. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool them on racks. Enjoy your beautiful homemade bread!

HONEY WHITE BREAD

Ingredients –
2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup honey
2 tsp. salt
2 cups water
11 cups bread flour (approximately)
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water, 110 degrees F
1 tsp. sugar or honey
Grease four bread loaf pans.
Combine milk, honey, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to scalding temperature – nearly to a boil, at 185 degrees F. Put the scalded mixture into a bowl and add the 2 cups water. Add 1 cup flour. When the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water with sugar or honey. Let sit to proof, approximately 5 minutes. When the yeast is foamy, it is ready to add to the lukewarm milk mixture. Add the rest of your flour, or enough to make a workable dough and knead for 10 minutes, or five minutes in your stand mixer. Both are pretty satisfying… if you have a stand mixer, it means you don’t have to do the kneading yourself. If you don’t have a stand mixer, or if you truly enjoy the process of kneading, then you get the pleasure of taking out your frustrations on bread dough! Place dough in a large bowl which has been greased or sprayed with PAM. Turn the dough over so that the top of your dough has a slight coating of grease or PAM, then allow to rise in a warm place until approximately double in size. I put mine in the oven because I have a “proofing” option. When the dough has risen, punch it down. Trust me, it’s very satisfying. Let it rise again. Evidently I had some pretty active yeast, because my second rising worked remarkably well! After your second rising, divide dough into four loaves, placing the loaves in your previously greased pans. Again, allow to rise until nearly double. While the dough is rising preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. When your loaves are ready, bake in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour until they are a crusty brown and sound hollow when you tap on the top of the loaf. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool them on racks. Enjoy your beautiful homemade bread!

adapted from a recipe by Tasha Tudor

Honey White Bread

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Cook’s Illustrated’s Foolproof Pie Dough

Foolproof Pie Dough

– makes one 9-inch double-crust pie –

The trick to this pie crust is the inclusion of vodka. Eighty-proof vodka, which is 60 percent water and 40 percent alcohol, adds moistness to the dough without aiding in gluten formation since gluten doesn’t form in ethanol. Although the recipe includes 8 tablespoons of liquid, the alcohol vaporizes during baking, resulting in a tender crust that only contains 6 1/2 tablespoons of water. Because of the extra liquid, the dough will be moister than most standard pie doughs and will require up to 1/4 cup more flour.
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water
Procedure

1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Can you freeze pizza dough?

Yes. Let’s take the amazing pizza dough recipe as an example.

You must let the dough go through the first rising (proof). Punch down the dough, use half for a large pizza and freeze the other half! I usually don’t freeze it for a long period of time, so I wrap securely in Saran Wrap (I use two separate pieces of wrap, and wrap it tight!).

To use, take out of the freezer and let it thaw/come to room temperature. Then, you must let it rise again… shape it into a large pizza or two mediums… throw on your favorite sauce and toppings and bake!