Perfect Pizza Dough

I know I've shared a pizza dough recipe with you before, and it's still a good one, but it turns out there's a trick to getting Perfect Pizza Dough, and I've found it. This is a pizza dough that is perfectly textured so that you can roll it and throw it in the air just like in the restaurants without having to worry about holes or lumps.

Seriously, this recipe is so easy, and creates such a delightful crust that we've been making pizza on the regular. So much so that I can't even convince Other Half to go out for pizza anymore because he prefers the homemade stuff.

Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, with this trick I'm never looking back.

So, what's the trick? Bread flour.

I always knew there were different flours for a reason, but I don't think I ever believed they truly made a difference in the long run. Well, foot meet mouth because oh... em... gee... bread flour.

I'm a convert. Try it out and you will be too, I'm sure of it.

For the simplest and best results it's best to use a stand mixer with dough hook attachment and a pizza stone. These two combined means you have about 3 minutes of active time with your dough before it's ready to be used (plus more for rising) and a great even temperature cooking surface.

Keep reading for the recipe!

Saturday Stuff

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Spring has sprung in the city and no one, and I mean NO ONE, was more ready for this turn in weather than me. Every time I step outside in the morning I'm still amazed at how wonderful the air feels when it's not trying to give me frostbite just for putting one toe out the door. And the sun! Oh, the sun! Bringer of light and heat! I bow down to you.

Seriously guys, I needed spring and it's finally arrived.

The seasonal change feels so new that I'm still afraid it's going to just disappear it to blizzard of snow and cold, so I've been going for lots of walks to really soak it all in ... just in case.

All this new found fresh air (I'm really coming off like a winter hermit, aren't I?) has the added benefit of sound sleep and now that it's Saturday, a well deserved lie in to catch up on all the delights the internet has to offer. I've marked just a few for you today as I've been to busy taking in all of the spring, but I hope you enjoy them none-the-less!

Spring means summer is just around the corner which means it's the perfect time to start planning all of the ice-cream treats I'm going to consume, and I think these Blueberry Earl Grey Ice-cream Sandwiches are a great start! And they're vegan!

Spring air also means spring vegetables such as fiddleheads and asparagus (and so many other exciting things!) and these Baked Asparagus Fries are bound to show up on my dinner plate pretty soon.

What's a day-dream without a little travel? These 19 British Bookshops all look very worthy of a visit and a wander.

Just so that you all know now, I'm definitely the type of person that will looking to your living room while I'm walking by on the street. I'm nosy. Which is why I just love Jacquelyn's House Envy series.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Blueberry Mint Lime Fizz

I'm one of those people that really likes to chuck all kinds of different ingredients into a bowl and call it salad - or into a pot and call it soup, or curry, or what have you. My general rule of thumb is The More The Merrier, and if it clears those veggies-that-really-need-to-get-used-but-I-just-haven't- found-a-place-for-elsewhere, then all the better! For the most part this turns into a delicious experimentation, occasionally it goes awry, but I'll keep those disasters far from this blog, never fear.

One area I don't really experiment with very much is the beverage category. Yes, I've made some delicious cocktails and mocktails in the past, but on a day to day basis I drink water and that's about it (and truth be told not nearly enough of it). It can get a little boring after awhile especially since I don't appreciate super sugary sodas like I used to. I'm certain there was a time in my teenage years where I was sustained on that junk almost entirely, but I just can't handle them too much any more. And so, what's a gal to do when her water's a bit boring and her soda is making her feel sick? Chuck a bunch of ingredients into a glass and sip away, naturally.

Inspired by this iced tea I made last summer (which is delicious and wonderful and you should totally go make some), I decided to play with the mint and lime flavours again. By the way, mint and lime is always a recommended combination! 

Wanting an alternative to water that wasn't soda but was still fizzy so that it seemed more exciting, I started with a base of soda water. Because I could just throw in the lime and mint and leave at that, I decided to jazz it up a bit more with some fresh blueberries. The result was a fizzy, slightly sweet (thanks to the amazing blueberries), and super refreshing - exactly what I needed. 

What do you do when you need to mix up your hydration habit? I'd love some tips and ideas, please share!

Keep reading for the recipe!

Fish Tacos

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's this - if there are fish tacos on the menu, I will order them. Without a doubt, fish tacos are one of my favourite dishes, the more layers and textures the better. Do you guys have a food like that? That you just have to order when you see it?

The best I ever tasted was from a food truck in Vancouver, Tacofino - it was perfectly cooked fish topped with a crunchy slaw (something I usually hate) and slightly spicy crema. It was perfect and I live exactly 4,382 Kms away. Wah wah. If you're ever in the area, check it out!

While this isn't exactly the same, it was definitely delicious. For starters I made my own tortillas (!!!!!), which was way easier then expected and then layered on all the goodness. The fish features a simple spice rub, and then it's topped with avocado, broccoli slaw, and a healthy portion of cilantro. The only thing missing (and I would definitely make sure I had next time) was some sort of crema - however a nice squeeze of fresh lime and sprinkle of sea salt really brought this taco into its own.

Keep reading for the recipe!