Friday, May 16, 2008

Best pizza toppings?

Out of all the countries I've visited, Italy is where I have spent most time and it's always close to the top of the holiday home wish-list.

When I was four, my parents and I travelled through Europe in a campervan for six months. I celebrated my fifth birthday on the Italian-Swiss border. I'm sure the scenery was beautiful but all I remember was that Dad smashed a Fanta bottle (a special birthday treat) on the road and I was devastated.

My mother's dream was to wake in Venice with her family when she turned 50 and we were happy to oblige.

In my mid-20s, I spent six weeks touring Italy with two girlfriends. We stayed in Siena for a week and each morning I would walk into the town centre, drink a macchiato and eat a huge piece of panforte and think how perfect life was.

We hope to rendezvous with Jeremy's family from Britain in a rambling Tuscan farmhouse and watch the kids run wild when we next venture overseas.

Feed the yeast and you'll eat your dough

Bread and pizza dough won't rise effectively unless the yeast is properly activated and all yeast needs is food and moisture plus warmth. To feed yeast, mix it with sugar, then add warm water.

Test the water temperature before you add it: blood heat is about right. If the water is too cold or warm this will reduce yeast activity or kill it altogether. Once the yeast, sugar and water are mixed in a bowl, leave it in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Bubbles should form on the surface, indicating the yeast is active and ready to use.

What do you think the best toppings are? Are you a purists or willing to push the pizza boundaries?

Posted by Monika Jansch at 4:54 PM | Comments 1