Start with the dough: (adapted from King Arthur's Pizza Bun recipe)
1 1/3 cups warm water (maybe a bit more or less depending on climate)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. instant yeast
3 Tbsp. instant potato flakes
4 tsp. vital wheat gluten (opt)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl (I start with the wet ingredients and mix as I go). Knead dough on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes. Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth until doubled in size.
Roll out the dough on a well floured surface until it's a huge rectangle. You want the dough very thin but not so thin that it breaks.
Evan will show you how to spread the sauce.....
"and do this... and do this... and do this..."
I used a whole small jar of store bought pizza sauce to cover the dough. (clean hands made it easier to spread if you're 2 years old... or you could use the back of spoon if you don't like finger painting)
Here's where you can get creative. I cooked up some local, pastured pork sausage and let it cool. You could add pepperoni or anything you like on your pizza but I would save most of the cheese for the topping.
Evan will now demonstrate proper sausage application....
You'll notice that he no longer has a shirt. Finger painting with sauce is a messy job.
So, after you have your sausage or other toppings evenly spread out, roll the dough starting with the short side. Roll carefully so the toppings don't squish out.
Cut the log into 12 even slices with a sharp knife. Carefully move the slices onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. The sauce will ooze out and look like a huge mess but that's okay.
Let them sit for about an hour to rise a bit more. They won't double but they will look a little puffy by the end of the hour. Preheat the oven to 350*.
Top the rolls with cheese (opt) gently so you don't deflate the rolls and bake them for about 25-35 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
The sauce keeps the rolls very moist without being soggy and the dough is so fluffy and delicate.
We're going to have to have these about once a week from now on!I hope you enjoyed this Chef Evan cooking lesson.
