Living in a house that is
over hundred years is totally not like the apartment building I lived that was
of a similar age. The radiators in that dwelling might have hissed and pissed
as it heated my place to a balmy, tropical 80-degrees. And, the windows had
been replaced at some point that allowed that enveloping warmth to stay within.
Now, I am completely exposed – the original lead glass windows, which are
beautiful are poorly insulting even with the storm windows that have been laid
over them as a supposedly thermal barrier. Hah! Fortunately, I finally figured
out how the wood burning stove works that actually does warm up the place.
I am now in love with the
glowing nightly fire if not so much with the daily scooping of wasted embers.
Though this fire unit has made me think – besides taking the chill out of the
air what else can it do? It is a stove after all, and I am committed to cooking
on it and in it. A crispy potato galette will brown on its top but it is the
idea that I have the potential for bread making. The conventional stove in the
kitchen maxes out at 500-degree and the one touched into the wall of the living
room revs in excess of 1,000-degrees. The radiator in my old place could have
stood in as a proofer but never could I have imaged much more.
Pizza Pie Roll – yields 10-inch pie
1-packet dry yeast
½-teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons
salt
4-cups all-purpose
flour
2-teaspoons olive
oil
1-medium onion -
diced
5-cup roughly
chopped leaves – such as beet, spinach, kale
4-garlic cloves –
chopped
¼-pound smoked
sausage - diced
2-cups packed basil
leaves
¼-pound grated
Parmesan cheese
¼-pound grated Asiago
cheese
Freshly ground
pepper to taste
In a large work
bowl mix together 1-cup of warm water, yeast, sugar and 2-tablespoons of flour.
Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes – there a bloom should occur
indicating the yeast has activated. Then mix in the remaining flour and olive
oil, and work into a dough mass. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes –
alternatively, the dough can be made in a standing mixture fitted with a dough
hook attachment.
Once the dough has
been worked and feels smooth to the touch, lightly flour the dough and place in
a bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough proof for an hour, and then
gently knock down, and proof for a second hour.
While the dough is
proofing heat a 10-inch pan over a high flame and add the onions and sausage.
Cook for about 10-minutes then start adding the greens, in batches, to wilt.
Once the greens are done mix the garlic. Transfer the greens mixture to a
sieve, and allow it to cool completely. Once the greens has cooled mix in
basil, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.
Pre-heat the oven
to 500-degrees.
Lightly flour a
work surface and roll the dough out to about 20x16 inches. Spread the greens
out over the dough leaving about an inch at the bottom without any filling.
Roll the dough up into a log and then spiral to create a 10-inch round.
Place the pizza
into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, and place in the oven on a lower third rack.
Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, Remove from the oven, and allow the pizza pie sit
for about 15 minutes before serving.
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