Craig

April 28, 2010 at 11:28pm

I live all of 3 miles from the KAF store in Norwich. My partner and I moved here in August, and we had not visited the store yet, as I was afraid that I would never want to leave. I have been using KAF AP flour exclusively for a long time and am a huge fan of your Chocolate Chip Cookie and Focaccia recipes. After reading this post yesterday, I decided I had to try it sooner than later. So, this morning, we headed to the KAF store to buy Semolina and the Pizza Seasoning. As I feared, I walked out with much more than just that! :-) I spent the better part of the day making this pizza. IT WAS COMPLETELY WORTH MY TIME!!! This pizza IS as authentic as you can get without actually going to Giordano's. I know, I have been there several times. The crust is exquisite, and the sauce is absolutely perfect. I followed the recipe and directions with the following exceptions: - I did not use the pork sausage. As good as it sounds, we are vegetarian. We used sautéed mushrooms and pineapple. Delish! - I had to use more than 1 3/4 cup water. It was much closer to 1 7/8, possibly 2 cups. I weigh all my ingredients, so measuring should not have been a factor (although, the freak snow storm this morning may have been the culprit). I cannot express how wonderful this dish is. I encourage everyone to try it. You won't be disappointed. Some tips for my fellow KAFers: 1. One pie easily will feed a hungry family of four. If you pair it with a side salad, then it will easily feed six. Next time, I will halve the recipe. 2. The dough is very stiff. My Kitchen Aid stand mixer (the small model) was not at all happy when I tried to use the dough hook to knead it. I ended up doing it by hand, which gave me a wonderful workout in preparation for the large amount of calories I was about to consume. ;-) Maybe a half recipe will be better suited for those with a smaller mixer. 3. Use the KAF Pizza Seasoning. The smell and taste of it is heavenly! 4. The Pomi aseptic pack tomatoes are truly superior. 5. The next time I make this recipe I will leave off the Parmesan on top. It interferes with the texture. Plus, I am pretty sure this is the most un-authentic part of this recipe. 6. Possibly the most important - If you can, use a springform pan. They are usually deeper, and there is no inverting necessary. DO put it on a pre-heated half-sheet pan, though, as they do leak. I used this today, and I am convinced this is the way to go. Thanks to PJ and the rest of the staff at KAF. You are all part of a great company, and your combined passion truly makes you the KING of your industry! Hey Craig, Glad you took the leap and went to the store. Trust me, it's hard to resist the siren song of the bakery case on the way home from work. Actually, I lived 20 minutes away from the store for 5 years before making my first trip over, then it was a weekly stop! You'll have to take a class soon and get to know the crew and keep your eyes out for the rest of us when you are there, it would be great to meet you. ~ MaryJane Thanks for the thorough vetting, Craig. And it's worth visiting the store just for the free samples! Just shield your eyes and repeat to yourself, WALK AWAY FROM THE TOOLS... DON'T PASS THE CHOCOLATE AISLE... AVOID BEING NABBED BY THE GRAINS SECTION... (or not?) :) PJH
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