Baking 101...30º

Yesterday was sunny and warm (for January,) not sure why I was in the baking mood...I wanted pizza for our dinner but have never found a crust that is really to my liking, so am always looking for the perfect pizza crust...One made using sourdough would be my choice, I would like one that you add all the ingredients onto the raw dough and it raises up in the oven as it bakes...When I do a crust like that, it just sits there, cooking but getting harder and harder, never rising, until it is almost impossible to eat...I've resorted to buying a cheese pizza, with rising crust and adding other toppings (but hate all the additives in store bought stuff.) When I worked at school, we made our own pizza crust in sheet pans, prebaked them and then added toppings before we baked them again just to warm through, before serving...Now many restaurants are serving "flat bread pizza," basically what we served at school, only with different toppings...My search on the Internet turned up this site and I enjoyed reading the history of Armenian bread and their love of fresh baked bread and how it was an everyday thing, making quick bread or raised bread, sweet bread or savory bread...No one questioned if it was "low carb" or "gluten free," bread was the staff of life...It was full of carbs and gluten, that's what made it good!..I feel myself climbing on that well known soap box and I feel bad for people who are really gluten intolerant but right now the "fad" in this country is that anything with gluten is bad for everyone!..That is just not true!  Sorry :(

I made one of the recipes from the Armenian site called Lavash, I opted for the one with yeast as I had plenty of time and I like yeast breads...It is a flat bread and can be either hard like crackers or soft and tender...Mine turned out soft with a little crunch but easy to eat a slice of pizza out of hand...I will make it again but still keep looking for the perfect crust.

Pizza

Sometime ago Bobi posted a photo and recipe on her Blog of a Petal Loaf...A take on cinnamon rolls, made into one big roll that can be peeled off for a single serving...She liked the process because it reminded her of the way her Grandmother made cinnamon rolls...Yesterday I used that recipe and made a beautiful loaf of petal bread but I think hers turned out lighter and softer than mine...But now I have another option when baking treats to share...For me it was a good day, doing something I enjoy, just rolling in the dough...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Petal Loaf 12 to 14 inches acrosss

Bubble Loaf