Book Review: Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

Do you like pizza? For most of us the answer is a resounding yes!! The third book by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoë François, Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, provide a wealth of information on how to prepare this world famous dish in your own kitchen in minutes. The key to doing this, the authors contend, is by mixing enough dough for many pizzas or flatbreads in advance and then storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. With a ready supply of dough already prepared, anyone can make a wide range of pizzas or flatbreads in 30 minutes.

The book includes an extensive discussion of ingredients including different types of flours, tomato sauces, cheeses, meats, seafood, eggs, yeast, oils, and sweeteners. The authors also discuss the four pieces of equipment that you will need (a baking stone, cast-iron pan, or perforated pizza pan, a pizza peel, an oven thermometer, and a dough scraper) to make pizza plus other, optional items that can make the job easier. A chapter devoted to helpful hints and frequently asked questions is also included that draws upon feedback that Hertzberg and François received about their earlier two books, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. After this valuable introduction to the basics of pizza making, the authors walk you through the process of making the book’s master recipe, Classic Pizza Margherita. By preparing this basic dish, the reader learns the key steps necessary to prepare any of the later recipes in the book. Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day includes over 100 different recipes for pizza and flatbread, as well as sauces, dips, and even desserts.

In our review, we tried two different types of dough, the Savory Brioche and the “Crisp-yet-tender Pizza Dough (Naples Style).” Using this dough, we made the Balthazar Goat Cheese and Onion Pizzette, the Turkish Spiced Flatbread (Lahmacun), and the Individual Breakfast Pizza in a Cup. We wanted to make the recipes during the week, so we decided to mix up the two different types of dough on Sunday using a standard Kitchen Aid stand mixer. We then stored the dough in the refrigerator to use as needed during the week. On Monday, we wanted to try the Balthazar Goat Cheese Pizzette so we used some of the Savory Brioche dough. While the oven heated up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, the dough warmed up to room temperature, and we prepped all of the toppings. With baking time only 8 minutes, we were indeed able to prepare a restaurant grade pizza dish in about half an hour. The next morning, we tried the breakfast pizza in a cup again using more of the Savory Brioche. This dish was easy to prepare and would be ideal for serving to guests at a weekend brunch since it takes very little time to make using ingredients made in advance.

The book includes a short interview with the authors in which Zoë François was asked to name her favorite recipe. Her response: the Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread. So we had to try this recipe too. For this recipe we used the Crisp-yet-tender pizza dough with seasoned ground lamb, onion, parsley, lemon and tomato. We could see why this recipe was the author’s favorite. It had a great combination of rich flavors accented with the fresh acidity of the tomatoes and lemon. This is also another good recipe for entertaining or an easy meal during the week as the spiced lamb can be prepared and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.

Overall, this is an outstanding book for working parents that are interested in serving healthier meals to their families during the week. It provides a system that, with a little planning, can be used to create healthy, delicious dishes from scratch in less than an hour. We give this book four out of five stars.

Breakfast Pizzas in a Cup Recipe

Take the ever-loved breakfast combo of bacon and eggs, bake them on a crisp pizza crust, and you have an exciting twist on tradition. Shake it up a bit with sausage, Canadian bacon, or even huevos rancheros toppings. These pizzas are a quick, easy, and fun way to eat a traditional breakfast.

To create a more festive breakfast treat try baking the individual pizzas in muffin pans.

Ingredients:
1 pound (grapefruit-size portion) lean or gluten-free dough or Savory Brioche dough.
6 strips of bacon (or breakfast sausage or Canadian bacon)
6 oz. of cheddar cheese (or your favorite), shredded
6 large eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
butter or oil for greasing the pans

Preparation:

1. Prepare and measure all toppings in advance. Render the bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon, break it up into pieces and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, with the racks in the center and top third of the oven. Grease two baking sheets. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form them into balls.
3. Roll out and stretch the crusts: Flatten each piece of dough with your hands and/or rolling pin on a work surface to produce a 1/8-inch-thick round. Dust with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed. Transfer to the prepared muffin pan.
4. Grease the pans and lay the dough into the wells.
5. Layer the ingredients into the dough cups, crack the egg over the top of each. Don't overfill these, or the contents will spill out of the cups.
6. Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven. Check for doneness in 5 to 8 minutes, at this time, turn the pan around in the oven if one side of the pizzas is browning faster than the other. It may take up to 5 minutes more in the oven.
7. Serve hot from the oven.

Makes six 4-inch pizzas

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

United States [ print this recipe for Breakfast Pizzas in a Cup ]

Hearty Slow Cooker Carbonnade Recipe

On a cold winter day, there is nothing more satisfying than the aroma of a hearty beef stew bubbling away. This classic Belgian dish, cooked in beer, is one of the best. Serve with mashed potatoes or hot buttered noodles and plenty of bread to soak up the luscious sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
medium to large (3 1/2 to 5 quart) slow cooker

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
4 oz. chunk of bacon or salt pork belly, cut into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) dice
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-inch(2.5 cm) cubes, and patted dry
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tspn dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tspn salt
1 tspn cracked black peppercorns
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups flat beer

Preparation:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain. Set aside.
2. Add beef to skillet, in batches, and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue to cook and stir until onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add reserved bacon and beer and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour mixture over beef (in the slow cooker). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until meat is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

Belgium [ print this recipe for Hearty Carbonnade ]

Lamb Korma with Spinach Recipe

A korma is an Indian dish of meat or vegetables braised in a minimal amount of liquid. This version, although very simple, is delicious and benefits from the addition of spinach and yogurt to enrich the sauce. Serve with fluffy rice, preferably basmati, a steamed vegetable and Indian bread.

Recommended Equipment:
large (approximately 5 quart) slow cooker

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder roast, trimmed, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm)cubes, and patted dry
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger root
4 cardamom pods, split
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cracked black peppercorns
1/4 cup water
1 to 2 long red or green chiles, minced
1 pound fresh spinach, stems removed, or 1 package (10 oz./300 g) spinach, washed, and finely chopped
1/2 cup yogurt
hot cooked rice

Preparation:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add lamb, in batches, and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cardamom pods, turmeric, mustard seeds, salt, and peppercorns. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add water and stir.
3. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until lamb is tender.
4. Stir in chile pepper to taste. Add spinach and stir well, pushing the leaves down into the hot stew. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes or until spinach is soft. Stir in yogurt and serve over hot cooked rice.

Variation:
Beef Korma with spinach: substitute 2 pounds (1 kg) stewing beef for the lamb.

Serves 6 to 8

Recipe courtesy of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

India [ print this recipe for Lamb Korma with Spinach ]

Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread ( Lahmacun ) Recipe

From Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François.....

My friend Serap is a native of Istanbul and now owns Depot 62, a Turkish restaurant in Manchester, Vermont. She introduced my family to this richly spiced lamb-covered flatbread. When it came to the table. she sprinkled it with fresh parsley, squeezed a lemon over the top, and then rolled it up like a crepe. Of all the delicious foods she presented to us this was the most loved - Zoë

Makes one 10-inch flatbread (makes enough lamb for 4 flatbreads)

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (peach-size portion) lean or gluten-free dough
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tspn ground cumin
1 1/2 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn paprika
1 pound ground lamb
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tspn salt
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
flour for the pizza peel

Toppings:
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped yellow or white onions
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 lemon, cut into quarters

Preparation:

1. Prepare the spicy lamb: Place a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the spices and cook for a minute, then add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until it is evenly browned, breaking it up as it browns. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and parsley. Set aside to cool before topping the flatbread. The lamb can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
2. Preheat a baking stone to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle a pizza peel liberally with flour. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1/4 pound (peach-sized) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
3. Stretch the flatbread: Flatten the dough with your hands and/or a rolling pin on a work surface, or directly onto the wooden pizza peel, to produce a 1/16-inch-thick round (about 10 inches across). Dust with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed, and transfer to a pizza peel if you haven't already stretched the dough on one. When you are finished, the dough round should have enough flour under it to move easily when you shake the peel.
4. Add the meat: Spread 1/3 cup of the meat evenly over the disk of dough. Save the remaining meat for more pizzas or freeze.
5. Slide the flatbread onto the preheated stone. If you're using a sheet pan, place it right on the stone. Check for doneness in 5 to 8 minutes, the crust should be baked through but remain pale and soft.
6. Serve immediately with chopped parsley, onions, tomatoes, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Cut into slices or roll up the flatbread like a crepe and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

Turkey [ print this recipe for Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread (Lahmacun) ]

Balthazar Goat Cheese and Onion Pizzette (Little Pizza-Tarts) Recipe

From Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François.....

These pizzettes were inspired by a savory tart that my cousin, chef Riad Nasr, serves at Balthazar in New York City. It is a mix of quintessentially French bistro flavors: caramelized onions, goat cheese, and thyme. They go well with many of our crusts but my two favorites are the Cornmeal Olive Oil and the Savory Brioche dough. - Zoë

Makes six 4-inch pizzettes

Ingredients:
1 pound of (grapefruit-size) lean or gluten-free dough or Savory Brioche dough
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 bay leaf
2 tspn fresh thyme (or 1 tspn dried)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz. soft chévre (goat cheese), at room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg yolk

Preparation:

1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, onions, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion are golden. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add some water to the onions, 2 tbsp at a time.
2. In a small bowl mix together the cheeses and the egg yolk until smooth. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, with the racks in the center and top third of the oven. Grease two baking sheets. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form into balls.
4. Stretch the pizzette crusts: Flatten each piece of dough with your hands and/or a rolling pin on a work surface (or shape the disk by hand) to produce a 1/8-inch-thick round. Dust with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed, and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
5. Add the toppings: Distribute the goat cheese mixture equally among the 6 dough rounds, spreading evenly, then add the onions.
6. Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. Check for doneness in 10 minutes; at this time, turn the baking sheets around in the oven if one side of the pizzettes is browning faster than the other and switch the pans from the top and the bottom rack. It may take up to 5 minutes more in the oven.
7. Allow to cool, preferably on a wire cooling rack. Serve warm, not hot.

VARIATION: Caramelized Onions, Sautéed Potatoes, and Fresh Pecorino
Add 2 tbsp of wine to the onion mixture while caramelizing. Once the onions are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan and sauté 1 thinly sliced potato for about 3 minutes, just to soften. Replace the cheese mixture with 3 ounces of grated pecorino cheese (or any other hard grating cheese). Roll out the pizzettes and distribute the toppings evenly over them, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake as above.

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

France [ print this recipe for Balthazar Goat Cheese and Onion Pizzette ]

Savory Brioche Recipe

Traditional brioche is sweetened with a bit of sugar or honey and is used in savory recipes as well as desserts. For this book we decided to go to extremes: a dough that is sweet for our dessert pizzas and this version, with no sugar at all, for the savory pies. They are both rich and flavorful, but in two distinct ways.

Makes enough dough for at least eight 1/2 pound pizzas or flat-breads (about 12 inches across). The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp granulated yeast
1 tbsp Kosher salt.
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preparation:

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, and eggs with the water in a 5 quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Mix in the flour and butter without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy duty stand mixer (with paddle). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
3. Cover (not airtight), and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough will be loose, but will firm up when chilled. Don't try to use it without chilling for at least 3 hours or until firm. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Or store the dough for up to 3 weeks in the freezer in 1/2 pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before use.
5. On pizza or flatbread day, roll out or stretch the dough into a thin round and finish with your favorite toppings, using many of the recipes in this book.

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

France [ print this recipe for Savory Brioche ]