Basic Biscuits

Everybody can easily admit that it is very hard not to like biscuits, and they go with almost anything! On top of that they can be served with any meal. Biscuits are one of those recipes that once you have a good recipe, you are content and don't see any reason to try a new recipe. This is my favorite biscuit recipe that is super simple with no add ins.

I started with Alton Brown's biscuit recipe but then altered it to make it easier with ingredients that you will most likely always have on hand.

First put all your dry ingredients in a food processor and incorporate. 

Next, cut up the butter and place it in the food processor. Process until the butter turns kind of crumbly and slightly incorporates with the flour mixture.

It should look something like this. A slightly crumbly mixture that did not absorb all the butter. DO NOT MELT THE BUTTER! It will not be biscuits with melted butter and it will not create the right consistency.

Now get some buttermilk to incorporate to create the biscuit consistency.

This should be what your biscuit batter looks like, a very sticky dough.

Next place the biscuit better on a well floured surface, over flour if necessary; it saves a lot of irritation! Cut the dough into 12 pieces and roll them into balls and place them on a silicone mat or parchment paper.

When they are done, they should be a light brown color on the top and relatively firm on top. You are done!

Then you can eat it plain, or my favorite way is with a little butter and honey.

Then, all you have left to do is eat way too many of them! 

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Place in food processor and process until combined. Cut up butter, place in food processor and process until the butter is incorporated and crumbly. Add the buttermilk and incorporate to make a wet dough. 

Place onto floured surface. Knead 5 or 6 times until it comes together. Divide into 12 even pieces. Roll the pieces into balls with floured hands and place onto parchment or silicone mat. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until biscuits are risen and golden on top.

NOTE: If you do not have a food processor, you can use your fingers to incorporate the butter.

How to Make a Pizza

This is a simple way to make your pizzas so it isn't too time consuming, but keep in mind, good food doesn't come without time. First, you must make the pizza dough (you can find the recipe here).

After you let the pizza dough rise for 1 to 2 hours, you can preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the pizza stone (if you don't have one, see here). The oven should remain at 500 degrees for at heat 45 minutes before you put the first pizza in, or your pizza will not cook evenly, or "correctly".

Next it is time for you to roll out the pizza dough. You should roll it out to about 15 inches, but you can do it more if your pizza stone is big enough to hold it. You do not want the dough to be paper thin because it will just break, you want it to be about a 1/4 of an inch thick, maybe a little thinner. It is really your choice, the question is how much pizza dough you like per bite.

Next, get some parchment and put it on a pizza peel (see here) or a flat wooden cutting board. Emphasis on the word flat! It must be flat so you can easily slide it into the oven. Anyway, put parchment on a cutting board and add some cornmeal (this is not essential, but to get a good texture, it is very helpful). Now it is time to put the pizza onto the pizza peel. If you put the rolling pin onto the dough and wrap the dough around the rolling pin and lift it onto the pizza peel, it will be easy to move the dough from where you rolled it out to the pizza peel.

Now it is time to top it. This is where the creativity part comes in. You can really take it anywhere from here. From potato pizza to arugula pesto to your old fashioned favorite, cheese. Put the sauce on, whether it be garlic oil, creme fraiche, or tomato sauce.

Topping time! Some of my favorites are:

• grilled bell peppers
• grilled onions
• caramelized onions
• mama lil peppers
• pepperoncini
• olives
• salami
• chorizo
• italian sausage
• potatoes
• pancetta
• herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)

And I could go on forever to be completely honest, but why would I do that when the best part of making homemade pizza is coming up with new things to try! Last but not lease you need cheese. This is a preference, but you can use any of the below, or all of the below!

• Parmesan
• Pecorino-Romano
• Mozzarella
• Gruyere (Potato Pizza)

Now it is time to cook it. I usually go about 10 minutes or anything around that time, it really depends on how you like it and how your oven cooks. I just watch it, but it will almost always be more than 5 minutes so that is a safe time for you to leave the kitchen. To put the pizza in, slide the pizza on the parchment and let it cook until it looks done (the cheese is bubbly and the crust slightly brown). Pull it out WITHOUT burning yourself and let it sit for at least 2 minutes. It is finally time to indulge! Enjoy!

Easy Pizza Sauce

This is super easy pizza sauce from a can, but you have the ability to spice it up a little more.

Photo Credit to Allrecipes

You need one can  of tomato sauce, and one can of tomato paste.

You also need some spices depending on what you enjoy.

I generally use garlic powder, basil, oregano, and anything else that you are craving. If you have pizza seasoning, you can also put a generous amount of that into the sauce instead of all of the above. This recipe is easily fit to your needs, and takes about 2 minutes to make.

Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

Okay, now that it is finally that season when you can have your oven on at high temperatures for long periods of time, it is pizza season. To make pizza you need a key thing that makes it pizza. That key thing is... DOUGH!

Pizza dough is one of the simplest yeasted items you can make, so don't be scared away by the oh so horribly scary yeast.

First put the warm water and the yeast in a bowl on their own for about 5-10 minutes.

Next add in all the other ingredients.

Now turn on the mixer with the dough hook attached. It may look like it cannot mix together any longer, but give it time!

Eventually it will come together in something resembling a ball. You may then proceed to move it to an oiled bowl. Then you cover the bowl with a warm wet towel to keep in the moisture. Let it sit for 1-2 hours in a warm place without drafts.

When it is done, it should have almost doubled in size.

Then you are done and it is time to make pizza, breadsticks, flat bread, or whatever you are craving!

2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast

1 cup warm water (about 105 to 115 Fahrenheit)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil (Plus a little more to grease bowl)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

DIssolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Attch bowl and dough hook. Turn on your mixer at a medium speed.

Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to the hook and the side of the bowl is clean. Place in greased bowl and turn over so it is all equally covered in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

One of my essentials is pumpkin pie spice but more often in the winter when I am baking with lots of pumpkin, which I absolutely adore! This is for if you 1) can't find it or 2) don't have any. It is a simple recipe without much other than simple spices. Personally I find this almost better because you can really taste all the spices, but it is THAT much extra work!

Pumpkin Pie Spice
Yield: 1 tablespoon

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

¾  teaspoon ginger

½  teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves 

Mix all together than add to your recipe!

Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This easy recipe can be used for almost anything and is to DIE for, at least in my opinion! These tomatoes rarely make it off the tray in one piece, some are always left behind or eaten before they make it into the dish being made. These tomatoes can be used for bruschetta, pasta, pizza, and lots more with your imagination.

Any small tomatoes will work for this recipe.

Start by slicing the tomatoes in half and putting them face down on a jellyroll sheet.

Next cut up either shallot or garlic, depending on which you like more. Or you can put in a little of both if you are super gourmet and prepared.

Next sprinkle shallot/garlic over your tomatoes distributing fairly evenly. Now pour the olive oil over the tomatoes distributing evenly. Salt and pepper according to taste.

This is halfway through the two hour cooking time.

And you are done with your slow roasted tomatoes. 

More recipes to use these tomatoes to come!

Recipe:

2 pints tomatoes

Head of garlic/shallot (use as much or as little as you like!)

1/4 cup  olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 275 F. Cut the tomatoes in half from the stem hole down. Place the tomatoes seed side down on the jellyroll pan. Once all over the tomatoes are on the pan, you can spread them evenly around the jellyroll pan. Cut however much shallot or garlic you want and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes. Salt and pepper according to taste and put the tomatoes in for 1 hour. After one hour turn the cooking sheet around. Cook until wrinkly and fragrant about 45-60 minutes more! Now you can let them cool a little so you don't burn your tongue and then you are done! Voila and enjoy!