Thanks from me, too! Yesterday I made French baguettes. Some Korean friends and DS & DDIL came over to make kim bop and mandu and molton lava cake. I used some of the dough for a couple of snacking pizzas while we cooked. It made the best homemade pizza crust!

You are both very welcome.

I told you it made the perfect pizza crust. LOL! Especially when given an extra two or three days in the fridge.

I'm really happy that you gave this recipe a try and found it to your liking. No matter how good the toppings, without a great crust pizza is disappointing.

I kneaded up a double batch today (8 cups of flour). I'll bake a few baguettes tomorrow on my last day off and then Thursday or Friday I'll bake another loaf of bread and either a pizza or the Flammkuchen.

Thanks for the feedback.

Ann

Ann, you are exactly right--no matter how good the pizza toppings--the crust has to be great!! And yours is!!

Ok, so what is Flammkuchen??--I did google and it talked about a German pizza. How does this differ from our pizzas and do you have your recipe available?

Oh, another question, Ann--I would like to make the recipe below for breadsticks and calls for semolina flour for dusting. My local grocery store did not have semolina flour--is there something I can substitute for it?

Thank you!!

Here is a link that might be useful: breadsticks

Trudy,
First off, you have to try the Flammkuchen. It is delicious. Save some of your pizza dough for this.

Flammkuchen - Thibeault's Table

I wouldn't worry about the semolina flour. Just coat them well with Bread or All-Purpose flour.

Ann

Wow, that does look great, Ann. I WILL try it!!

Thank you also for the semolina flour suggestion!

Thank you!!

I am sorry to bother you all, but may I pretty please have Ms. Ann's recipe for the pizza? I love making pizza but mine just never comes out right. I would surely so appreciate the recipe if someone has a moment. Thank you guys!!! Take care, Colleen

Colleen,

Here is the recipe for Julia Child's French Baguettes. On my days off each week, I usually make a double batch of this bread dough. The dough goes into the fridge after it's first rise and is left for two to three days. This long cold fermentation develops more flavour and texture in the bread and makes the perfect dough for a pizza crust.

Thin crust with a light,airy, chewy rim.

How I Make My Pizza

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

French Baguette
===============
Julia Child

1 package dry active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour (bread flour) (NOTE: I use 4 cups)
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups cold water plus 1/3 or so additional water

Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of the food process. Pulse to mix. Add 1 1/3 cups of water and process until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn't form a ball, add a little of the extra water. Process for about 60 seconds, turn off machine and let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Turn on the machine again and rotate the dough about 30 times under the cover, and then remove it to a lightly floured work surface. it should be fairly smooth and quite firm.

Let the dough rest for 2 minutes and then knead roughly and vigorously. The final dough should not stick to your hands as you knead (although it will stick if you pinch and hold a piece); it should be smooth and elastic and, when you hold it up between your hands and stretch it down, it should hold together smoothly.

Preliminary rise - 40 to 60 minutes at around 75F. Place the dough into a clean dry bowl, (do not grease the bowl), cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place free from drafts. (note the French do not grease the bowl because they believe the dough needs a seat to push up from). This first rise is sufficient when the dough has definitely started to rise and is about 1 1/2 times its original volume.

Deflating:

Turn the dough onto your lightly floured work surface roughly and firmly pat and push it out into a 14 inch rectangle. Fold one of the long sides over toward the middle, and the other long side over to cover it, making a 3 layer cushion. Repeat the operation. This important step redistributes the yeast throughout the dough, for a strong second rise. Return the dough smooth side up the bowl; cover with plastic wrap and again set to rise.

Final rise in the bowl - about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer. The bread should be 2 1/2 to 3 times its original bulk. It is the amount of rise that is important here, not the timing.

To Shape,

Cut the dough in half. Set one piece aside and cover with a towel.

On a lightly floured work surface pat the dough into a 14 inch rectangle, squaring it up as evenly as you can.

Fold the rectangle of dough in half lengthwise and using the heel of your hand, firmly press the edges together whether they meet. Seat well. Pound the dough flat. Now repeat - patting the dough out again and folding it over and sealing the edges. Pinch the edges well and Rotate the dough so that the sealed edge in on the bottom.

Repeat with second piece of dough.

Cover with plastic wrap or loosely with a towel and let rise to more than double again at about 75°f.

Place stone in oven and Preheat oven to 450°F. Slash three long cuts into the loaves and place on the hot stone. Immediately toss a number of ice cubes on to the bottom on the oven to create steam. Bake until bread is golden and has an interior temp of 200°F. Takes about 30 minutes.

Making Dough in a Mixer or by Hand

When you are making dough in an electric mixer with a dough hook, proceed in the same general way with the rests indicated, and finish by hand. or mix the dough by hand in a bowl, turn out on a work surface, and start the kneading by lifting it up with a scraper and slapping it down roughly for several minutes until it has body. Let it rest several minutes and then proceed to knead.

This is the recipe I use as a basic outline. I use it more as a guideline.

I have a Magic Mill that I use to do most of the kneading. I still like to finish kneading by hand.

Thank you Ms. Ann for taking time out of your day to help me!! I surely appreciate it!! Take care, Colleen

You are welcome Colleen.

Ann

Cotehele, what are your thoughts on the kim bop? I learned to make it about 2 years ago, but haven't made it for a while. There is a certain smell that bothers me. I think it may be the sesame oil, which I generally love. My friend Soo says that I can use olive oil instead, so I might try it again. My recipe generally makes about 9 rolls, which get devoured right away by the kids in the neighborhood, lol!

Ann, your pizza crust is one that I must try. It's very similar to one I saw in Food & Wine, but the problem for me is planning in advance 3 days so I can keep it in the fridge. I'm a very impulsive cook, so I generally don't/can't plan that far in advance. My bad :(

Nancy

Nancy,

Everyone loved the kim bop, but a a few pieces are plenty for me. I didn't think it had very much flavor. The vegetables did not have a very strong flavor. She used carrots, cucumber, avocado, Korean radish, a brownish-red root and cheese. Some of the rolls had crab.

The sesame oil was sent from Korea to our friend by her mom. It was a mild flavored oil compared to ours which has a stronger flavor and tastes like toasted sesame. I liked it. Try olive oil, you don't have anything to loose. The kids will eat it if you don't like it. lol

Judy

Judy, when I make it, I use carrots, Korean radish (but I don't like it much...found out most have artificial sweetener in them), crab stick, scrambled egg, cooked spinach, and spam (sometimes). My sesame oil is from H-Mart and I think superior to what we generally get in the American stores. I mix in sesame seed, black and white, with the rice.

My Korean friend makes it also with canned tuna, hotdogs, steak, turkey, asparagus...virtually whatever she has on hand. I'm interested in the fact that your friend used cheese. We have a local kim bop restaurant here, and even their many varieties don't have cheese in them. What kind did she use?

Nancy

Nancy, I would like to see (taste) what a kim bop restaurant has to offer. Using stronger flavored filling would be better. Asparagus sounds good. HyoRim uses American cheese. It may be for the color rather than the flavor. If I was choosing cheese it would be something different! I'll have to look at AsiaMart for sesame oil.

Judy