Deep Pan Pizza

Yesterday I got a new toy. It is all very exciting. I got a bubblegum pink Kitchen Aid. Its AWESOME. $50 go to research for breast cancer and the colour is just amazing and makes me happy in the kitchen. So of course, I decided to give it a try and made pizza dough with it. So easy! Mess-free and so so so YUMMY! This pizza definitely won my heart, and I will be making it again for sure! Definitely one of the best homemade pizzas I have had... I love that the crust is crusty on the outside and soft like bread in the inside. YUM YUM YUM!

Ingredients:

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 cups flour

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water in your mixer bowl.
2. Add the salt, olive oil and the flour. 
3. Use your awesome pink kitchenaid dough hook and mix for about one minute. 
4. The dough should cling to the hook and not attach the side. 
5. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour. Punch down dough. 
6. Brush your pan with olive oil and press dough across bottom of the pan, forming a collar around the edges to hold toppings. 
7. Add your toppings. I added tomatoes, olives, cheddar, mozzarella, swiss cheese and provence herbs. 
8. Bake at 450F for 18 minutes. 
9. Enjoy!

Challah

I came across a great recipe for Challah and I just knew I had to try making it. I had not had Challah in a while! I made two loaves. One normal and the other with chocolate chips. They both turned out amazing and super moist and delicious!! We really enjoyed having some as snacks throughout the day. Plan to be home for a while, it takes AGES!

Recipe taken from Joan Nathan found here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 packages of active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tbsp salt
• 7 to 8 cups of flour (depends on the stickiness of your dough)
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (if you want to add chocolate chips in your loaf)

1. In a large bowl (seriously), dissolve yeast and 1tbsp of sugar in 1 3/4 cups of lukewarm water. Use a fork to dissolve. 
2. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can use a mixer - to your own risk... my dough flew everywhere when I tried.)
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (I put mine near the window.. and let the sun work its magic!). Dough should double in size. 
4. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour. 
5. Cut your dough in half. You'll have two loaves. You may knead in the chocolate chips in one of the two doughs. 
6. To make the 6 braid challah, you take one ball of dough (you got two in part 5) and form it into six balls. 
7. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the six in a row, parallel to one another. 
8. Pinch the tops of the strands together. 
9. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. 
10. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. 
11. Make the second loaf the same way.
12. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between. 
13. Beat the remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Let rise for another hour. 
14. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves a second time with the egg wash. 
15. Bake in the middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.)
16. Cool loaves on a rack. 
17. Enjoy!!

*You can add raisins or cranberries. 

** You could put poppy seeds on top.