My Family's Favorite Pizza Crust

This dough is the no-knead artisan bread dough that was really popular about 10 years ago. It is really simple and fast to assemble. This recipe and technique has never failed me. The crust always turns out with a great yeasty flavor and aroma, along with a perfect crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside texture. 

Let's get started!

 Dough Recipe

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 TBS. yeast

1 1/2 TBS. course or kosher salt

6 1/2 cups unbleached flour

In a large bowl (at least 4 quarts) combine all the ingredients. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, 5 minutes is all it should take.

Shaggy dough. Stop stirring.

Cover loosely and rest at room temperature for 2-5 hours. 

After the rest you have a bowlful of sticky dough.

At this point the dough can be used for pizza or put into the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Make sure you start preheating your oven well and in advance, like 30 minutes. Set your oven to 500° F. and place an overturned iron skillet on the middle rack. A stoneware pizza pan can be used instead of an iron skillet.

Preheat oven and iron skillet.

Sprinkle flour over the dough. With floured hands pinch off a lump of dough, about the size of a grapefruit. Working quickly, tuck under the raw edges and plop your lump of dough on a little pile of flour.

Lump of dough on pile of flour.

This dough is almost too wet to use a rolling pin to shape. After the dough has been refrigerated it is much easier to manage. Once the dough is chilled you can probably use a rolling pin.

 I use my hands to shape the dough (most of the time) in this manner:

Flatten the lump into a disc. Lift the dough by the edge let the weight of the disc stretch the dough. Rotate the disc so that it starts to make a circle. Lay it down on the flour frequently to solve any stickiness. Continue to stretch and manipulate the dough until you end up with the desired shape. 

It is really easy to stretch a hole in the dough, so just be warned.

Transfer your dough to a pizza pan and add toppings.

Ready to bake!

Place your pizza pan on top of the hot upside down iron skillet in the oven. Bake 7-10 minutes.

Music I Have Been Enjoying Lately

I am a musical person! I have had some musically dry time periods in my life when I either didn't have a piano or radio or didn't take any time to play or at the very least sing. I definitely missed music during those spells. Music just brings light and life to a dimension of my personality. I am sure I am not alone in this feeling. Somethings are just expressed best through music! I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of the piano pieces that I have been enjoying lately. Along with some auditory versions so that you can enjoy them, too.

Raindrop Prelude by Chopin 

Vanished Days by Grieg

Epilogue by Heller

And, Moonlight Sonata mvt. 1 by Beethoven.

I don't really take time to learn new songs these days, but someday I dream of adding a few to my repertoire. I really love Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring by Bach. I chose this piece for my bridal processional when Mr. In The Mid-west and I got married. It would be so nice to play it for myself.

May Sheep Safely Graze, also, by Bach

And, I have always wanted to be able to play Liebestraum by List. It doesn't have the same appeal that it used to for me, but I'd still like to be able to play it someday.

Do enjoy any of these songs? Do you have any favorite songs to share? Maybe we can have a conversation about music in the comments section!

My Favorite Italian Sausage Recipe

 I found this recipe from Sufficient Acres.com back when it was Queen of the Red Double Wide blog. That was years ago! This sausage recipe is one of the best I have tasted. I want to add it to my collection of recipes here on my blog because it is a staple in my kitchen. 

I have mixed this spice blend into ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork, and ground deer. If you want "real" Italian Sausage it is best to use pork with a high percentage of fat.

Italian Sausage Seasoning

1 tsp. Ground Pepper

2 tsp. Dried Parsley

1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp. Fennel Seeds

1/2 tsp. Paprika (Smoked Paprika is really good)

1 tsp. Minced, Dried Onions (I used 1/4 c. fresh minced onions if I don't have the dried version)

1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Mix all of the ingredients together. Stir into 2 pounds of ground meat. Refrigerate 2-24 hours before cooking.

Some of you may remember that I also shared a Breakfast Sausage Recipe several years ago. It was also a recipe from Sufficient Acres.com. You can see the original recipe for Breakfast Sausage HERE or my version HERE.

New Year's Eve Hats!

 Happy New Year 2021! We wore paper crowns at our celebration. I designed my crown with sewing in mind. I used yarn to make stitches on the border. I glued on some buttons and pictures of quilt blocks.

Why do I make hats for New Year's Eve?  This tradition started 3 years ago when we were home by ourselves for New Year's Eve. We were not going anywhere or having anyone over to our house. On top of that Mr. In The Mid-west was working that night. I wanted our supper to be a little festive. I thought if I made paper party hats for everyone we would have more fun! :) And it was more fun! It is a tradition I would like to keep.

The First New Year's Hats

Last year I learned about fascinators. Fascinator definition: a woman's light, decorative headpiece consisting of feathers, flowers, beads, etc. attached to a comb or hair clip. They are so pretty! I wish I could incorporate them into daily attire. For New Year's Eve 2020 I made a GIGANTIC fascinator out of a paper flower. If anyone would like a good tutorial on how to make paper flowers HERE is one I recommend.

Do you have any fun New Year's traditions? Tell me what they are in the comments section!