Artisan pizza and flatbread in five minutes a day

The tips and techniques section alone makes this book invaluable to anyone attempting to make pizza at home. Every problem you might encounter is discussed in a friendly, you're-not-stupid-for-asking-this-question! manner. Hertzberg and Francois start with the basics: "How brown should pizza cheese get?" or "How do you prevent a soggy pizza crust?" and move to the more scientific: "Why do you cut medium-soft cheese into chunks rather than grating or slicing it?" The recipe section is similarly orchestrated. The first recipe, for a classic Margherita pie, is painstakingly broken down into finely detailed directions, with pictures in case you get lost. You'll actually enjoy reading the directions, as the authors provide reasons for every move: "Do not punch down the dough! With our method, you're trying to retain as much gas in the dough as possible, and punching it down knocks out gas and will make your pizza and flatbreads dense." It feels encouraging, not coddling, and soon you'll be making the delicious recipes, like Turkish spiced lamb flatbread or goat cheese and onion pizzette. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day 1 PIZZA AND FLATBREAD ARE THE FASTEST BREADS WE MAKE: STORING THE DOUGH MAKES THE DIFFERENCE B y the time we finished our second bread cookbook, we came to a basic truth: our pizzas and flatbreads were the fastest and often the most beloved recipes in our repertoire. Why? Because unlike loaf breads, they require little or no rest time after shaping them. So if you have a batch of our stored dough in the fridge (where it's been developing richer flavor over its storage life), and you've preheated your oven, you can be as little as ten minutes away from piping hot pizza, or even less for fresh pita flatbread. For busy people, there is no quicker dinner--as always, active time is under five minutes a day, because you spread the preparation time for your premixed dough over many pizzas and flatbreads. We've included soups, dips, and spreads that turn flatbreads or pizzas into a complete and speedy meal. Ingredients will include grains and toppings from around the world, as well as healthier alternatives where possible. So this book can become the basis for entire meals that are perfect for busy households. New pizzerias are popping up all over the United States, and pizza remains the nation's number one purchased meal. Despite this, there aren't many pizzacookbooks on the market today. And most recipes rely on dough that yields just one precious pie--not an option for most busy people. We have a voracious appetite for pizza, and so do our readers (that's what they told us on our Web site). Making your own pizza is much easier than it looks, and the options for toppings and crust mean that there's a world of variety. As in all our books, the secret to baking it fresh every day is that the dough is on hand, in your refrigerator, all the time. Storing the dough makes all the difference. Since you only mix once, but bake up to eight pizzas or flatbreads over a couple of weeks, you divide the prep time over all the pizzas and flatbreads you make from the batch. Whether you're an old hand at baking or a novice, our helpful tips will let you perfect your pies. We start with basics in Chapter 2 (Ingredients), Chapter 3 (Equipment), and Chapter 4 (Tips and Techniques). And then you can start baking exquisite pies with our Master Recipe (Chapter 5). Photography copyright (c) 2012 by Mark Luinenburg Excerpted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, Zoe Francois All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.