Dough – T.W.O.

Artichoke & Spinach Pizza

Published on January 3, 2014December 31, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Do you know what night it is?? Yep, that’s right…Friday Night Pizza Night! We are featuring an Artichoke & Spinach Pizza this week. It’s a hearty pizza with a béchamel-style sauce and fresh spinach that will please any crowd. Check out how to make this delicious, gourmet pizza below!

Ingredients

– Pizza Dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– 8 oz fresh spinach, divided
– 2 Tablespoon butter
– 2 Tablespoon unbleached flour
– ¾ cup milk
– ¼ teaspoon onion powder
– 2 cloves garlic, diced
– 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
– 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
– 2 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated
– 1-8 ounce can of marinated artichoke hearts
– Krazy Salt
– Fresh Ground Pepper

*T.W.O. used pizza dough from VJB Deli.

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF.

Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet.

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add ¾ of the spinach and sauté for 3 minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat and place on paper towels. Once some of the oil is drained, chop the spinach and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and onion powder and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and increase the temperature to medium-high heat for about 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Make sure you are stirring constantly, so the sauce doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and stir in 1 clove of diced garlic, pepper, Krazy Salt and sautéed spinach.

Chop the remaining fresh spinach and set aside.

Add the white béchamel spinach sauce to the top of the pizza dough. Add the fresh spinach along with the remaining 1 clove of chopped garlic. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheese on top.

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼF.Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Do not open the oven door, as you want to keep the heat in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes. Once done, take the pizza out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!

Pesto, Potato and Garlic Pizza

Published on December 20, 2013December 19, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Friday Night Pizza Night with T.W.O.! This week we are featuring a hearty pizza that includes pesto, potatoes and garlic. We adapted the recipe from one of our favorite pizza parlors in San Francisco – ZA Pizza! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients

– Pizza dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Pesto**
– 2 red potatoes, thinly sliced
– 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2-3 cups mozzarella

*T.W.O. used pizza dough from VJB Deli.
** T.W.O. used Bolani Basil Pesto (all natural, low fat)

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF.

Season the thinly, sliced potatoes with salt, pepper and oregano. Place the potatoes on a greased cookie sheet and cook for 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next, take the pesto and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Then add the mozzarella to the pizza. Take the garlic and sprinkle it evenly on top of cheese.

Once the potatoes are done (they should be soft, but not mushy), add the slices of potatoes to the top of the pizza.

That’s amore!

Fig & Brie Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

Published on December 6, 2013December 6, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

It’s Friday Night Pizza Night with T.W.O.!! This time, it wasn’t just us cooking in the kitchen – it was some of the most important women in our lives that helped us prepare this meal. Thank you to our Mom, Aunt and Sister In-Law who made this one of the best pizza making nights for the books!!! Soo – what was on the menu? Well, we had six different pizzas all made with what we had in the refrigerator. Yep, that’s right – there was no last minute rush to the market to get the ingredients. Today we are featuring the Fig & Brie Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Spinach. Check out how to make this mouth-watering, savory pizza.

Now Show Me How Much Fun You Are Having!

Ingredients

– Pizza Dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– ¾ cup fig jam**
– ¾ cup caramelized onions
– 6 slices brie cheese
– 2 cups spinach salad tossed in THIS dressing

*T.W.O. used pizza dough from Lucci’s Deli.
** The fig jam was homemade and jarred by our Aunt.

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next take the fig jam and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Sprinkle caramelized onions evenly on top of the fig jam.

Next add the slices of brie cheese to the top of the pizza. If you want your pizza to have more cheese, T.W.O. isn’t stopping you –go ahead!

Add the salad to the top of your pizza and you our friend have the perfect pizza!

Happy Friday Night Pizza!

Cheese-Filled Pastry

Published on December 5, 2013December 4, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Waking up in the morning and enjoying a cup of coffee along with a fresh piece of pastry is typical of the European lifestyle. T.W.O. would love to take on that same tradition and bring it to the States. Every day is a vacation, right? Well not exactly, but T.W.O. can help out in the pastry department. Learn how to make this scrumptious cheese pastry that will “WOW” a crowd!

Ingredients

For the Dough:
-2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
– ¼ cup water, lukewarm
– ½ cup 2% milk, lukewarm
-¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
– ¾ cup granulated sugar
-1 Tablespoon vanilla
– 1 egg
– 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Filling:
-8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchâtel, room temperature
-½ cup granulated sugar
-1 egg
-1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
– 2 teaspoons lemon zest or orange zest
-3 Tablespoons flour
– 1 cup of your favorite fruit jam or chocolate chips*

*T.W.O. doubled the recipe and made 3 large braids. They used apricot jam, boysenberry preserves and chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, mix the lukewarm water and the yeast together. Set aside. Mix all the dough ingredients together in a large bowl. (It’s best to use a mixer or a pastry blender) Mix in the water/yeast mixture. The dough should form a soft, smooth ball. Set aside and cover for about 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, start making the filling. Using a KitchenAid or handmixer, mix the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the egg, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Finally, add the lemon/orange zest and flour. Place the filling in the refrigerator to chill.

After the dough has doubled in size, place the dough on a floured surface and divide in half. Roll each dough out into a long rectangle making sure it is rolled out evenly.

Spread the cream cheese filling in the middle of the dough. Top with your favorite jam or chocolate chips. Cut 1 inch wide strips around the edge of the dough. Fold the strips towards the middle to create a lattice top.

Click the thumbnails for a larger photo

Once completed, cover the pastries and set aside to rise for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350ᴼF.

Right before the pastry is ready to go in the oven, brush the dough with egg whites. Sprinkle with sugar. The pastries will bake for about 30 minutes, but watch them closely so your dough doesn’t get brown.

Ready yet? I think so! Now it’s time to pour yourself some coffee and enjoy your pastry! T.W.O. suggests eating the pastry warm. If you want to reheat the pastry, cover it with foil and place it in a 200ᴼF oven for about 15 minutes.

Happy Baking!

Pear & Almond Galette

Published on November 27, 2013November 26, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Galette’s are a quick and easy alternative to making a pie or tart. It doesn’t require a special pan or master technic. Check out how to make this pear & almond galette.

Ingredients

*Flaky Crust:

-2 cups flour
-¾ cup shortening (T.W.O. uses butter flavor)
– 2-3 Tablespoons sugar
– 5-6 Tablespoons cold water
-1 egg white
*Please note this recipe usually makes two pie crusts, so adjust accordingly based on the size you want your galette

Filling:

– 7 ounces almond paste
– 5 Comice Pears, peeled & sliced
– ¼ cup granulated sugar
– 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
– 2 Tablespoons nutmeg
– 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF. In a bowl mix the flour, shortening, sugar and cold water. T.W.O. uses a pastry blender to mix the dough together until you form it into a ball. Set aside.

In a bowl, carefully mix the sliced pears, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. Be careful not to break the pears while mixing.

To roll out the dough, make sure your surface is floured so that the dough doesn’t stick to your countertop or mat. Using your rolling pin, roll the dough out evenly in a circular shape. With the assistance of a spatula, move the rolled out dough into the oiled or “PAM’ed” baking pan or cookie sheet. Next, add the almond paste to the center of the dough. You want to make sure the clumps of paste are distributed evenly, leaving a 1 inch border around the edge of the circle. Next add the pear mixture on top of the almond paste.

Using a knife, cut ½ thick strips along the edge of the dough. Next, take each strip and fold over to make a crust. Each strip should be crisscross. Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake the galette for about 35 minutes or until the fruit mixture is bubbling. Check the crust at 15 minutes and if the pie crust is getting brown, cover with foil. Remove the galette and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving. If you don’t plan to eat the galette right away, T.W.O. suggests warming it up prior to eating. Add a scoop of ice cream and you have yourself a gourmet dessert!!!

Happy Baking!!

White Artichoke Pizza

Published on November 15, 2013November 14, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!

Just got paid…Friday night… and T.W.O. is feeling alright! Our aprons are ready for some pizza making! This week’s pizza is a delicious white pizza with artichokes, mushrooms, garlic and fresh mozzarella.

Ingredients:

– Pizza Dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Fresh mozzarella, about 9 large round slices
– 2 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1 – 1 ½ cups marinated artichoke hearts, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2 Tablespoons dried basil

* T.W.O. used VJB Cellars pizza dough which is made with 00 flour.

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next take the olive oil and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Sprinkle the diced garlic and basil evenly on top of the olive oil.

Add your fresh mozzarella, spacing the slices equally so the cheese will melt to the edges. Next, add your sliced artichokes and mushrooms. If you are an artichoke lover like T.W.O.- you can add more as desired!

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼ. Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Do not open the oven door, as you want to keep the heat in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes. Once done, take the pizza out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

Is it time to eat yet?!

Sure is! Hope you enjoy this light, fresh and flavorful white artichoke pizza on your Friday Night. Don’t forget to pick your movie to go along with your dinner!

Deep Dish Pizza

Published on October 25, 2013October 21, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Friday Night Pizza!!! T.W.O. decided to spice up Friday Night Pizza night and make a deep dish pizza. That’s right, pizza pie! T.W.O.’s brother made a deep dish pie a couple weeks ago, which inspired us to try our own version. Grab your rolling pin, pie dish, ingredients and let’s start cooking!

Ingredients:

– Pizza dough
– Flour
– Cornmeal
– Mozzarella cheese, 1 inch block
– Marinara sauce (T.W.O. uses Molinari’s homemade marinara sauce)
– 1 large head of broccoli, chopped
– 1 can of olives, diced
– 1 small package of mushrooms, diced
– 2 jalapeno, diced

Preheat oven to 425ᴼ.

First, roll out dough on a flour, cornmeal surface. Make sure to evenly roll out the dough in a circular shape so it fits in the pie dish. Once completed, place the dough in the pie dish and pat in place. Add some flour and cornmeal to the bottom of the dough so it will help absorb some of the juices.

Cut thin mozzarella slices from the block of cheese and lay on the bottom. Next, drizzle some marinara sauce to cover the cheese. Add the cut vegetables to the pie and layer cut slices of cheese in between. Once you have all your ingredients in the pie, top with the remaining marinara. The sauce should fill in the gaps between the vegetables.

Put the pizza pie in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. You will know when the pizza is ready when the sauce is “bubbling”. Take out and top with parmesan cheese.

Let the pizza sit for about 10 minutes prior to cutting. Once served, sit down and enjoy your deep dish pizza pie!

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

Cheers,

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on October 21, 2013October 21, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

T.W.O. has made a ton of chocolate chip cookies in their lifetime and we discovered that throughout the years, new recipes are constantly evolving. Most recently, T.W.O. adapted this recipe that has a secret ingredient. Find out the trick to making the best chocolate chip cookie!

Ingredients:

– 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
– 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, soften
– ¾ cups light brown sugar
– ½ cup sugar
– 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
– 3 teaspoons vanilla
– 2 cups chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and yolk together. (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid mixer!) Once mixed well, add the flour, baking soda and the secret ingredient CORNSTARCH! After 3 minutes, slowly add in the chocolate chips. Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for a minimum 3 hours.

Don’t forget to taste the dough!

When you are ready to bake the cookies, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Pre-heat 350ᴼF. Let the dough sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes while the oven is pre-heating. Roll the dough into balls and place them on an oil-sprayed cookie sheet. Next, place the cookies in the oven for 10-11 minutes depending on your oven.

Once they are finished, take the cookies out of the oven. Place the baked cooked on a cooling rack and grab yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Burrata Margarita Pizza

Published on October 4, 2013October 4, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Burrata. Basil. Marinara Sauce. Balsamic.

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!

T.W.O. decided to cook a lighter pizza for this Friday Night Pizza Night. Burrata looks a lot like fresh buffalo mozzarella, but it much softer and has a cream-like filling. And it makes for a great cheese to use for a pizza! This Burrata Margarita pizza is easy to whip up for yourself, date or family night. Has T.W.O. convince you to make this pizza yet?

Ingredients
1 – Roll of pizza dough
-12 ounces Marinara Sauce*
-8 ounces Burrata**
-1 Small package fresh, basil leaves
-2 Cloves garlic, chopped
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt

*T.W.O. uses SF Capellino Low-Fat Tomato and Garlic Sauce from Molinaris Deli…don’t let the “low-fat” scare you- the texture and flavor is still there!
**T.W.O. suggests using Di Stefano – Burrata Alla Panna

Roll out your pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once evenly rolled out, place dough on a pizza stone. Spread the marinara sauce on the dough making sure you get the edges.

Next, cut the burrata into pieces and distribute evenly on the pizza dough. (See below) It’s okay that the marinara is showing; the cheese will melt. Next, place your basil leaves and chopped garlic on the pizza. Last step- drizzle balsamic vinegar over the pizza and add salt to taste.

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes while the BBQ is heating up. Note –you don’t want to put the stone on a cold BBQ. The temperature should reach a medium-high heat before placing the pizza on. Watch the pizza closely; you don’t want your crust to burn! It should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on your grill.

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Published on September 20, 2013September 19, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Friday Night Pizza night!

T.W.O. had some leftover chicken in the refrigerator, so why not make a BBQ Chicken Pizza?!

Ingredients:

– Pizza Dough
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Chicken breast, shredded
– BBQ sauce
– 1/2 cup olives, sliced
– 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
– 1/4 cup cilantro, diced
– 1/2 cup red onions, diced
– 2-3 cups mozzarella

Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to the pizza stone. Next take the BBQ sauce and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges.

Then, add your mozzarella! Take the sliced olives, mushrooms, cilantro and red onions and spread it on the cheese. In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken breast and BBQ sauce. Once mixed, put the chicken on the pizza.

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes while the BBQ is heating up. Note – you don’t want to put the stone on a cold BBQ. The temperature should reach a medium-high heat before placing the pizza on. Watch the pizza closely; you don’t want your crust to burn! It should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on your grill.