Week 7 on the 2017 series of GBBO was Italian-themed. I really enjoyed watching the bakers make Cannoli, which look as though they would taste amazing - deep fried pastry cylinders usually filled with a ricotta-based filling - the textures sound divine! This was the signature challenge, and as much as I wanted to try them this week I didn't have the specialist equipment - cannoli moulds or a pasta roller. Sadly, not having a pasta machine also meant that I couldn't immediately make the showstopper challenge - Sfogliatelle, which are beautiful layers of pastry layered to look like "lobster tails", filled with a sweet semolina filling. I've devoured these at Christmas markets before, and have tried to make them previously (without a pasta machine)...and they didn't turn out too well. I will be making these in the future - I just may need to put a pasta machine on my Christmas list :)
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| Sophie's Cannoli |
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| Steven's Sfogliatelle |
So, this week I made the technical challenge, which was set by Prue and was the classic pizza Margherita. I had a few issues with her recipe (sorry Prue).
Firstly, she uses fresh yeast. As a non-professional baker, I find this really hard to get hold of (without having to persuade bakers at supermarkets to give me some...). She also used a pizza stone and a peel, neither of which I own. Therefore I adapted the recipe - using firstly Pauls' pizza dough recipe, and then I baked it in a way most people would be capable of - on a pizza tray on top of a preheated baking tray (see the recipe below).
I also added sliced meat to the pizza, as my boyfriend demanded. Leave this off to make a proper Margherita, but it did add a nice taste to the pizza.
The dough turned out wonderfully and was really easy to stretch out without using a rolling pin. The pizza itself tasted great too - it wasn't overly fatty or overladen with toppings. Simple but delicious.
Serves 2-4 (depending on whether you're having anything else with the meal)
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 250g (2 tsp) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 5g (1 tsp) salt
- 5g (1 tsp) fast-action dried yeast
- 20ml (1 tbsp and 1 tsp) olive oil, plus extra for greasing your hands/work surface
- 160ml (2/3 cup) water
- Fine semolina, for dusting
For the tomato base:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can (400g) peeled plum tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped as fine as possible
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- pinch of salt
For the topping:
- 125g (around 1 cup) mozzarella
- 50g sliced meat (optional)
Method:
1. Prepare the dough. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Pour the olive oil and salt into the bowl. Lightly grease your hands, then bring the dough together.
2. Once it forms a rough ball, tip out onto a lightly greased surface and knead for 5-7 minutes. If it gets really sticky, add some more olive oil. Keep kneading until the dough looks smooth, and springs back when lightly pressed.
3. Place in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm then leave until it has at least doubled in size - this will take around an hour.
4. Meanwhile, make your tomato base. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan, and fry the garlic on a low heat until softened (but hasn't browned).
5. Tip in the peeled plum tomatoes, sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently, pressing the plum tomatoes against the pan to break them down. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes until the tomato juice has reduced by about half. Set aside to cool.
6. Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 240c (220c fan)/464F/ gas mark 9. Turn a baking tray upside down, and place in your oven to heat up. Dust a 35cm (14 inch) pizza tray with semolina and flour.
7. Grease your work surface a little oil. Tip the dough onto the surface and press down to a rough circle. Pick the dough up, and start stretching the dough outwards - you can try spinning the dough at this stage (I didn't dare!).
8. Once the dough is slightly bigger than the size of the pizza tray, transfer to the tray. Curl the excess dough over to create a neat circular pizza (this also gives a nice crust to hold onto).
9. Spread over the tomato base. Slice the mozzarella into 6-8 slices and place well spaced apart onto the pizza. Place the meat slices as you like.
9. Bake the pizza by placing the pizza tray on the preheated baking tray, for 12-15 minutes, until the sides are well browned, and the mozzarella is becoming slightly brown.
10. Slice.
11. Buon appetito!
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