shain

For this Saturday I made Jachnoon, a rare treat in my house. Jachnoon, is a sweetened dough, rolled thin and laminated with fat, then baked overnight. It is of Yemeni origin and is a very popular food item in Israel. The absolute most of the jachnoons here are laminated with margarine, which is a shame since it gives them no flavor (health issues aside). So I resort to making them myself (which is probably a good thing, because otherwise I'll eat them way too often). I also like to add yeast to my dough, because I believe it gives them more flavour (there is no need for rising the dough). The dough is sweetened with either dark brown sugar or date syrup, along with the long slow baking and butter, this gives it a lovely butterscotchy aroma. It is most commonly served with eggs, slow cooked in the same pot (haminados), schug and pureed tomatoes. I've also added a pot of fava beans with garlic and cumin.

A quick toast with tahini and silan (date syrup), the other half was the same but with honey - I ate it before thinking of taking a photo.

I really hate raw (untoasted) nuts of all kinds - not because they taste bad, as most nuts are also quite tasty raw, but because they can taste so much better with a short toasting.

I have an ever growing list of new ideas and an ever growing list of recipes I've made and liked, which I sometimes want to tweak slightly. Every season is a race to make all of those that suit it. Most of my new recipe ideas are based on flavor combinations I had tasted somewhere or saw online.

It's finally avocado season, and this year there are plenty on our tree - they are dropping in dozens with the wind, and I must collect them before the birds get to them. They are very tasteful, notably sweet. I like my avocado roughly mashed with pepper, chili and salt, spread over a warm toast. Sometimes with sliced onions, this time with scallions, and some scrambled egg.

@sartoric Great looking pizzas, lovely charred bubbles.

@sartoric Your pizzas look delicious! I'm very happy to see that you enjoyed the recipe. I enjoy a boldly baked crust. You might want to rotate the pizzas halfway through. Oh, and BTW, I'm a guy

I never tried. It should behave as any other lean dough, so if you had luck with it on the past, it should work. You might be interested in this thread over Pizzamaking.com .

The poppy was a last minute addition. The rest of the flavors are actually common in the taste of many breakfast cereals. We had a big protein rich (at least by a vegetarian scale) dinner at lunch time (I dislike meal-times terminology...), so a lighter supper was fine.

For supper we had pasta in (lightly) sweet bechamel based sauce, with dark malt syrup, poppy seeds, vanilla and a little dark brown sugar. Very tasty.

Candied orange peels. The Shamouti oranges from our tree are almost as much rind as they are pulp. They are no much good for juice, though are great for eating. The tick rinds makes lovely biteable candies. My favorite is chocolate covered peels, but I don't think I have the patience to temper chocolate right now. I've thrown some mandarin peels in there as well - let's say I'm lucky they didn't flavor the oranges, their peels are no good (though they do make the best juice, in a small chilled glass, it's almost like drinking a shot of liquor, so sharp, acidic and sweet that it burns in the throat).

Chickpeas and borlotti beans, cooked until very tender, flavored with cumin, anise seeds, lemon and a little bay leaves, parsley, sesame, chili and garlic. A good drizzle of oil from our own tree (this was a very good year for olives and the oil is very fruity, sharp and sweet). And a little harissa on the side. A salad of cherry tomates, scallions and chilies. Toasted baguette (bought) - crisp but soft inside to soak the juices. I also had some labneh with zaatar.

Cauliflower and chickpeas curry - with caramelized onions, chili, cilantro, plenty of fenugreek and cumin among other spices. Palak paneer. Tahdig rice. Also yogurt.

While I never made injera, I do sometimes make lachuch, which is a Yemeni flatbread, made in a very similar fashion, but from wheat flour instead of teff. Here is a video of a women making lachuch, her method is exactly the same as the one I use, only that I prefer to cover to pans while the bread cooks (and mix the dough with a beater -no doughy hands for me, please). Since she talks in Hebrew and the man in video translates her to Italian, I will highlight the fact that she uses both yeast and baking powder and that the thin batter is poured into a cold pan, oiled very lightly. Injera is made the same way, only that as much as I know, the dough is usually left to ferment for a few days (I usually do this with lachuch as well) and that baking powder is most likely not traditional (though I'll suggest to include it, as I know it improves the texture of the lachuch). I will also assume that the teff, being a whole grain, requires more water then white flour to achieve the same consistecy.

@Anna N It looks like you are busy baking - lovely breads all of them.

Grilled cheese - rye bread, emmentaler, mustard - one with tomatoes, the other of chrain (horseradish+beets) - Thanks @Alex for the suggestion. I've spread mayo over the slices, instead of using butter for the frying. The combination of the beets sweetness with the cheese and mustard was pleasant, but I've would like more horseradish kick.

Yes, it makes the dough a little softer and easier to handle. The baked crust is also a little more tender and a little less chewey. I think lean dough works better in wood fired (or professional strong gas fired ovens) where the pizza bakes faster and has no time to dry. Without the oil, and with some more water, this turns to be my (not often used) baguette recipe, which is quite different than what I like my pizza to be. I'm a crust lover as well. I personally, always choose the slice with the biggest, most charred bubbles This is why I leave quite a large and thick rim, and make sure not to deflate it while shaping. I always make a few different pizzas, but one of them will always be a margrita or a "simple" cheese and sauce pizza. The ricotta, eggplant and mushroom one is my favorite flavor combination.

For 3 medium pizzas (4 large-ish slices each) or 2 large pizzas (I recommend that you stick to medium sized ones). 425g (15oz) high gluten (bread) flour 272g (9.6oz) room temp water (based on hydration percentage: 272=425*0.64) 10.5g ( 0.4oz) salt 16g (4 tsp, 0.53oz) sugar 17g (1.5 tbsp, 0.6oz) olive oil 6.5g (2 tsp, 0.25oz) instant yeast (or 2.5g dry) If you have non-diastatic malt powder, adding a little will add a nice flavor Note: edited 2020, since my recipe changed since 2016. The original version called for 6.5g salt, 21g olive oil, 12g sugar. If using dry yeast, dissolve it in the water, instant yeast can be mixed with the flour. Mix all dry ingredients, pour in the water. Using a mixer, knead 5 min, let rest 10 min, knead 5 min more, or until well developed. If you use your hands, it's better to knead more times, for shorter periods and shorter rests in between. Put the dough in the fridge at least overnight, preferably 2-3 days and up to 6 days. Once the dough is risen, Take it cold from the fridge and place it on a dusted surface. Divide into as many pieces as you want pizzas. Shape into tight balls. Use semolina or flour as needed, try not to overuse it, but it's better than having it stick. Place the balls on a generous dusting of semolina or flour so it won't stick to the surface. Keep it covered. I use an upside down bowl, but a dusted towel will work. Let it rise for 1 to 2.5 hours (1 in summer, 2.5 in winter). Don't forget to preheat your oven at least 40 minutes before it's time to bake (even more time if you use a stone instead of steel). You want as high as your oven will go (mine gets to ~270C). When the dough is risen, puffed and slack - Place a parchment over a peel or upside down oven sheet. I like to cut the corners of the parchment so to not risk it burning. Shaping takes a little practice and is up to personal preference. There are good videos online. Take a ball and dust lightly. Flatten it gently, don't remove much air. Do pinch any large bubbles. Put the dough on your closed fist and gently shake to extend the dough edges downwards. Hold the dough with two hands, using your finger to grab it slightly inside from the rim, as to keep the air in it. Let gravity stretch the dough downwards, as you rotate it in the, much like a steering wheel, gently stretch the dough sideways between your hands as you do so (I hope this description made sense). When the dough inside the rim is thin and almost, but not yet allowing light through, place the dough on the parchment. Lift the edges and stretch it to its full size and restore its circular shape. Top as desired. Use cold ingredients, especially the cheese, which is also better cubed than grated. I'll use apx. 90g (3.2oz) of mozzarella per medium sized pizza. Set the oven to top broiler/grill on maximum power for one minute, then slide the pizza and the parchment together into the oven and . Bake until getting slightly charred, but avoid browning the cheese. Let the oven reheat a little (back in regular, non grill setting) before baking the next pie, and turn the broiler back on a minute before inserting it. A note about baking - you want the baking steel to preheat as much as you can before inserting the pizza. You want to make sure the broiler is on for a minute before inserting the pizza, but not too long ahead so that it won't be stopped by the thermostat. Please tell me if there is something you'd like me to clarify. My favorite toppings: All are for medium sized pizzas, scale by 1.5 for a large pizza. The amounts are in grams, but that doesn't mean it needs to be precise at all. All toppings should be fridge-cold, especially the cheeses. Classic NY style: 5 large ripe, sauce tomatoes (like roma or san-marzano) either fresh or canned - peeled , chopped, salted , drained and crushed (500g / 17oz) 100g cold semi-dry mozzarella (3.5oz), chopped Fry some garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened but still bright tasting. Add salt to taste and some basil, chili, etc. Spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese. Pesto-ricotta: 90-100g ricotta (3.5oz), mixed with some salt and pepper 50g cold mozzarella (1.8oz) 100g pesto, semi frozen or at least fridge-cold (3.6oz) 5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved Spread the mozzarella evenly, drop chunks of pesto and ricotta. Scatter the halved tomatoes. Eggplants and mushrooms: 1 small eggplant, sliced and baked, grilled or fried about 5 button mushrooms, sliced and sauteed. 80g ricotta (2.8oz), mixed with a minced clove of garlic 90g cold mozzarella (3.2oz) - optionally smoked mozzarella Some salt, pepper, oregano and thyme Margarita 4 large ripe, sauce tomatoes (like roma or san-marzano) either fresh or canned - peeled , chopped, salted , drained and crushed (400g / 17oz) 110g cold fresh mozzarella (3.9oz), teared by hand (or roughly chopped) basil leaves Some sharp EVOO Salt the crushed tomatoes to taste, spread it and place the cheese. Place the basil and drizzle olive oil immediately after baking. Ricotta & figs 100g ricotta (3.5oz), mixed with 1/3 tsp salt and some pepper, and optionally, 1/3 tsp of ground anise or fennel seeds 80g cold mozzarella (2.8oz) 4-5 large ripe figs, sliced. The narrow top-most slices are the cook's treat Bake until the figs gets caramelized. Goat cheese and olives About 5 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce - enough for e thin even spreading Dry chili to taste 55g cold mozzarella (2oz) 75g cold soft goat cheese, salted (2.6oz) About 7-8 of olives of your choice, chopped About 5 cherry tomatoes, sliced (using multiple colors looks better) Apples and blue cheese About 5 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce - enough for e thin even spreading 65g mozzarella (2.3oz) 65g strong blue cheese (2.3oz) 150-170g tart apple (I used Granny Smith), cubed (apx 1/2") Some salt, depending on your cheese of choice

Bead flour

Yes, I thought about it, my oven seems to bake even enough, so I don't rotate my pizzas, and I think that opening the oven just to pull the parchment might cause heat loss. I would do it if I would have opened the door anyway, as you do.

My oven is electric, so take any tip with a grain of salt. I use regular bake setting to preheat. I do turn on convection, as it seems to allow the oven to heat faster. I do believe preheating using the broiler might be better, but I don't like keeping it on too long in my electric oven. The idea is however, to get the plate as hot as it can get. Steel is a great heat conductor compared to stone, and therefore the bottom bakes in time, however, it does require reating between bakes. Using a thicker plate will improve this. Some of pizzas are not as charred on the bottom, as I'd like them to be, but they are always baked through, and I find the faster cooking top more significant in the final result. Skipping the parchment might also help a little. Get a plate 1/4-1/2 inch thick, as wide as can fit in your oven. Make sure that you can manipulate it easily enough. Stainless steel is great, since it doesn't require seasoning, but it is expensive. Any other type of steel or iron plate will be fine and cheaper. Ask however you get it from to smooth the corners and adges a little. If it is not stainless, season it as it it was a cast iron pan. There are good guides online. But in summery, you clean it well, removing all rust. Wash a thin layer of oil all around, then bake on high heat, you can do this while it heats to bake a pizza (but don't skip the parchment at this stage). Then, in the next few bakes, wash with a little oil after you finish baking, while it's very hot.

Thank you! EDIT: I moved the recipe here:

Sure, I'll be glad to tell. Is there anything specific you are interested about? In general, It's a straight dough made with bread flour and 64% hydration, a little sugar and some olive oil. Kneaded well and rested for 1-3 nights. As for shaping, I try to mostly use semolina, as I find excess flour makes the crust a little leathery, while the semolina doesn't absorb the moisture, and gets crunchy in the oven, but a little flour is unavailable. I keep some flour in a salt shaker for use in baking, it is very handy to dust the surface and the dough. For baking, I have a plate of steel, 1/4 thick (regular, not stainless, since it's cheaper), which I bought for less then 15$ from a metal shop, and seasoned so it won't rust. I pre heat it for 45 minutes as hot as my oven will go, then switch to broiler and slide in the pizza on a parchment. I find that it doesn't hurt the pizza, and I don't like otherwise risking it sticking to the peel. That's about it.

Thanks to @andiesenji suggestion, today's supper was quick pasta with spinach, mushrooms, a little half-cream and a generous amount of whole grain mustard. I decided to add a small amount of dark brown sugar, in order to cut the acidity a little. The mustard's floral-fruity notes really came through, linked to combination very much. In retrospect, I would rather use patacchini or a similar pasta. Also, I wanted to try and blend the spinach, but felt to lazy to pull out the blender. It's more about spreading the spinach flavor evenly, it had a fine texture as is.

Haha, I think I managed to find the perfect recipe for you: Okra, chickpeas, lentils and eggplant.