featured

Butternut Squash Orecchiette (Updated)

| Zoe Wong

Making this dish is no easy feat, but don’t let that discourage you from making it! This pasta dish is easily a crowd pleaser. It’s fun to eat because of the orecchiette and has a deep flavor profile.

Orecchiette pasta is “ear-shaped”!

In my experience, it has successfully satisfied both my parents, attendees at a pot-luck, my roommate, and my roommate’s aunts and uncles. This pasta is also great for the Fall season when squashes are almost always in abundance and on sale at the markets.

That said, this pasta dish demands a lot of preparation time. To make the process easier, I recommend that you choose the straightest, non-curvy, butternut squash possible so that it is easier to handle.

A curvy butternut squash (left) is harder to peel and cut compared to a butternut squash with minimal curves (right).

Pressed for time? Try this pasta option:

Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is dealing with the butternut squash. When I made this recipe for the first time, I struggled since I never handled a hard squash before. I’ve made this pasta many times since then, and I can assure you that practice makes a world of difference!

For more tips on how to prepare butternut squash, check out Tori Avey‘s blog post.

I’d also like to take the time to point out that I do use kale in this pasta. I realize that many people don’t like kale, but I promise that the cooked kale in this recipe does not have a strong flavor. Most of the people that have eaten this pasta have never tried kale or typically don’t like leafy greens, and yet have told me afterwards that they didn’t mind the kale in the pasta. So please, give kale a chance! Otherwise, other leafy greens like spinach are also a good substitute.

If you do use kale, be sure to use the fresh bunched kale, and not the pre-cut bagged kale. Bagged kale chops kale into pieces that includes the stem, which is not desirable for this recipe. If I’m being completely honest, kale stems don’t belong in any dish, except for making vegetable soup stock.

This is how to de-stem kale.

For a full-course meal, I’d serve it with a Fall Salad, Fudgy Brownies, and a bottle of sweet red wine.

Butternut Squash and Kale Orecchiette

  • Servings: 6 bowls
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print


Choose the least curvy squash for easier handling. Substitute kale for other leafy greens if necessary.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. Butternut Squash
  • 4-5 Kale Leaves
  • Half a Red Onion, diced
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
  • Half Can of Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 6 oz Orecchiette (half box)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking tray with greased foil.
  2. Wash, peel, cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and cut the squash into cubes.
  3. Spread out half of the cubed squash onto the tray.  Bake in the middle-rack of the oven for about 30-45 minutes or until fully cooked. Set aside once done.
  4. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a medium-sized skillet. Sauté the remaining half of the butternut squash.  Set aside.
  5. In the same skillet, heat another 2 tbsp of vegetable oil into the same skillet. Once heated, sauté the diced onions on medium to medium-low heat while constantly stirring for about 30 minutes or until the caramelized to your liking.  Set aside.
  6. In a large pot, add uncooked orecchiette and just enough water to cover the pasta. Add about a quarter can of chicken stock.  Once liquid boils, cook for the amount of time instructed on the packaging.  Stir constantly and add more chicken stock if the water level becomes too low. 
  7. Wash, de-stem, and cut kale into 2 inch pieces. In the last three minutes of boiling time, add kale with the pasta so they cook together.
  8. Strain the pasta and kale together. Return pasta and kale to the pot, add oven-roasted squash, sautéed squash, and caramelized onions.
  9. Turn the heat on medium and add seasonings to the pot: garlic, cumin, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper. Toss pasta and seasonings together until homogeneous and taste is to your liking.


Fudgy Brownies (Updated)

| Zoe Wong

Not to toot my own horn, but this is a really, really, good brownie recipe. I’ve gotten so many compliments on these brownies and most of my sweets recipients have become fans for these treats in particular.

Check out this gooey goodness! 😍

I must admit that this recipe is not completely my own- I encountered it on AllRecipes on one fine day. The original recipe calls for all vegetable oil, which I swap out for entirely melted unsalted butter. I also use cocoa powder instead of dutch-processed cocoa powder.

Since this recipe calls for a lot of oil, the estimated cost of this recipe is more pricey than my other recipes (roughly $4.83/tray). For comparison, I’ve found that a Betty Crocker brownie mix is $1.39 while a Ghiradelli “Double Chocolate” brownie mix is $1.99. However, I think this recipe tops any box mix, no matter how fancy (yeah, I’m looking at that Ghiradelli option), and is well worth the extra work and cash money.

Not feeling chocolate? What about…

Also, a perk of making your own brownies is that you can decide how “gooey” or well-done you want it to be. If you’re a fudge fan like me, bake for about 30 minutes and rest in the oven until the surface cracks (about 10 minutes). Alternatively, if you prefer a well-done brownie that resembles dense chocolate cake, bake for 40 minutes until the surface also cracks or a toothpick inserted in the middle can come out clean.

To spice things up a little, you can even add semi-sweet chocolate chips or toasted walnuts to the batter. I’ve tried both and they were delicious and make a great gift for the holidays!

I use a 6-inch square pan!

I think the most common size for square pans is 9-inches. Unfortunately, I do use a 6-inch pan for this recipe.

If all you have is a 9-inch pan, try doubling this recipe and altering the bake time to about 55 minutes and resting for 10 minutes. This timing is a rough estimate so I would also suggest following the pointer tips below:

Pointer tips:

After baking for 30 minutes (6-inch) or 55 minutes (9-inch), shake the pan. The center of the brownies should not be solid but should not be very jiggly either. It should barely jiggle.

Then, if a toothpick is inserted in the center, it should indicate that the batter has the consistency of chocolate ganache- like thick melted chocolate.

When the brownies has passed both of these conditions, turn off the oven but leave the brownies in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the surface cracks become more prominent.

  • Toothpick Test
  • “Prominent” cracks

Fudgy Brownies

  • Servings: 1, 6-inch square pan
  • Difficulty: too easy to resist
  • Print

These brownies are ooey-gooey like a lava cake!  Credit:  Mmm-Mmm Better Brownies


Ingredients

  • 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter, melted, at room temperature
  • 1 C. Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/3 C. Cocoa Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour


Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
  2. Grease a 6″ square pan.
  3. In a large bowl, blend together butter and sugar to get a grainy paste.
  4. Crack in the eggs and vanilla into the butter/sugar mix. Whisk until all ingredients blend together.
  5. In a smaller bowl, combine in cocoa, salt, and flour using a clean whisk to combine the ingredients.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the larger bowl containing the wet ingredients in two parts. Fold with a rubber spatula in-between additions. Ensure everything is homogeneous.
  7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Insert the pan into the middle rack of the oven.
  8. For fudgey brownies, bake for 30 minutes, and rest with the oven off for 10 minutes or until the surface cracks. The residual heat will finish off the brownie. For “well-done” brownies, bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

To ensure maximum fudge goodness, I constantly check on my brownies while it’s cooling (or slowly cooking) in the oven. Since the brownie is using the leftover heat to finish, resist opening the oven door! Use the oven light to check if the surface has cracked.

Alternatively, once I notice that the sides and top looks cooked, I will open the oven door to jiggle the pan a little. The middle should still be very slightly jiggly for fudge brownies. If you are unsure whether you the brownie is done, inserting a toothpick in the middle is a great way to check how far along the brownie is. It should feel a bit like a chocolate ganache (not liquid, not solid either, but a creamy, dense chocolate).

Try adding semisweet chocolate chips or toasted walnuts to the batter for a lovely variation!

One Wok Japchae

| Zoe Wong

There were two motivations in making this recipe- the first, as always, was due to the fact that I was craving japchae but didn’t have immediate access to any Korean restaurant. The second motivation stemmed from my own guilt that the bag of glass noodles or sweet potato noodles that I had bought more than two months ago went neglected for as long as it did.

Perhaps you are unable to relate to my motivations stated above, but hopefully, you have landed yourself on this blog post because you at least love or are interested in learning how to make japchae with limited time and effort. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

As the title suggests, this recipe requires one wok, or a really big skillet. I would not consider this recipe traditional by any means since it skips a lot of steps (mainly parboiling the different vegetables separately), but the end result, in my opinion, is just as satisfying. Also, because this recipe is all done in one wok, it requires less oil than it’s traditional counterpart in which sesame oil would be added not only to the noodles, but to each different vegetable category as well.

I did not include any meat in this recipe because I don’t like cooking meat, but feel free to add your own spin with meat if you’d like.

I love meal prepping japchae because it can be eaten both hot or cold- which means that I can eat without worrying about finding a microwave between classes.

One Wok Japchae

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp Korean red chili powder
  • 2 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 5, 2-inch stalks of green onion
  • 1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 small carrots, thinly sliced
  • 5 re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • handful of spinach
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 Cups of water
  • glass noodles
  • sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

  1. Marinate the shiitake mushrooms: in a bowl, add mushrooms, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp garlic and 1/2 tbsp red chili powder. Mix and set aside for about 15-20 minutes.
  2. In a medium-sized wok, heat up 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Sauté carrots on medium-high until cooked. Season with salt. Set aside on a designated “prep” plate.
  3. Return the wok to medium-high heat. Cook the marinated mushrooms until marinade is absorbed and mushrooms are cooked, about 3 minutes. Set mushrooms aside on “prep” plate.
  4. The wok should still be hot, so there’s no need to turn the heat back on. Quickly add spinach and a dash of soy sauce and sauté until just barely cooked, about 1 minute. Set aside on “prep” plate.
  5. Add another tbsp of vegetable oil in the wok. Add in the green onions. Sauté on high until fragrant.
  6. Add onions and 1 tbsp of garlic to the wok and cook on medium with the green onions until onions start to become translucent. Set aside on “prep” plate.
  7. Boil water in the wok. When it boils, add the glass noodles and cook for 2 minutes or according to the time on the packaging.
  8. Strain the noodles under cold, running water. Add sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other. Set aside.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the wok and set it on low. To separate the egg white from the yolk, barely crack the egg on the kitchen counter and, using your fingers, gently pry the shell apart over the wok. Let the egg whites drip onto the wok, being careful not to puncture the egg yolk. Set the egg yolk aside in a small bowl.
  10. Cook the egg white with the lowest heat possible. When cooked, set aside.
  11. Remove the white parts from the egg yolk, then beat the egg yolk until smooth.
  12. Cook the egg yolk on the lowest heat possible. When cooked, set aside.
  13. Slice the cooked egg white and yolk into thin strips, set aside on the “prep” plate.
  14. Add 1 tbsp to the wok and 1 tbsp of garlic to the wok. Set on medium heat. When the garlic is fragrant, add the glass noodles back to the wok. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, some cracked black pepper, and 1/2 tbsp red chili powder. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
  15. Add everything except for the egg yolk on the “prep” plate back into the wok. Stir until homogeneous.
  16. Serve on a large plate, or 2 plates for 2 servings. Top with the egg yolk strips and sesame seeds.

Thank you to a dear friend of mine, SP, whose enthusiasm gave me the strength to finish writing out this recipe. ❤

Feeling rice more than noodles?

Colorful Vegetarian Kimbap

Kimbap is an easy and healthy make-ahead meal. You can make lots in one go, then stick them in the fridge for consumption throughout the week. It’s also great for potlucks or parties!

Simple Olive Tapenade

| Zoe Wong

One day after class (I was studying abroad in Paris), a staff member from the school was running a table full of food samples. Each food sample was supposed to be from a different part of France. The whole idea behind the event was to widen the students’ knowledge of French culture beyond that of Paris – which has vast differences. I remember sampling sparkling cider from Normandy, canelés from Bordeaux, nougat from Montélimar, and many other delicious goodies. The first time that I ever had tapenade was on this day. While tapenade isn’t from any particular region in France, I think they just included it because it was so…French? Afterall, I decided to go out of my way to make tapenade because of my Paris withdrawals. I was really craving a good baguette and tapenade to go with it, and thus, this recipe was birthed.

Anyways, each food sample on the table was labeled not only with its name and origin, but also with its key ingredients (in case of allergens). The key ingredients for the tapenade that day was anchovies and olives. As someone who has liked olives since their diaper days, the realization that there aren’t many people who like olives didn’t dawn on me until fairly recently. I may have been in denial of this sad statistic, but it was confirmed when I witnessed the tapenade looking alienated by the students. Perhaps it was also the mushed anchovies in the tapenade that further decreased its appeal. Anywho, if you’re reading this, I’m assuming that you, reader, don’t mind olives at the very least. This recipe does, afterall, contain olives. In fact, it is 80% olive and entirely forgoes both anchovies and capers, essential ingredients in a traditional recipe. If you didn’t catch it, that was my disclaimer that this recipe is not traditional or authentic.

While I usually strive to make food as authentic as possible, I did not feel it was necessary this time around because I wanted something fast, simple, and easily attainable. While I did say that I like olives, it isn’t something that I usually have in my pantry. I don’t usually have capers or anchovies either. When I set out to the grocery store, I had a budget and felt too lazy to carry three heavy jars back home (especially since I walk to and from the store). If you, reader, are afraid of anchovies, then fret not, because while I would like to include anchovies in this recipe, I couldn’t afford it (or capers), but found that the recipe was still tres bien~!

Simple Olive Tapenade

  • Servings: 1/2 cup
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

This is a very rough recipe so adjust to taste! Add more or less olives or garlic if you’d like. I also don’t add salt since I think it’s perfect without, but feel free to add some if you’d prefer it saltier.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 Cup pitted green olives, roughly minced
  • 4 Tbsp garlic, minced
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

  1. Infuse garlic with olive oil in a small pan over low heat until fragrant. Cool to room temperature.
  2. Mix olives, garlic, and oil in a container.
  3. Add lemon juice. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Serve with some bread or plain crackers. I even made a salad using tapenade as a dressing!

Dairy-Free Berry Crepes

| Zoe Wong

👈 This was my first crepe that I made successfully. It was my third attempt making a batch of crepes, so this was probably crepe #18. The skin was thin, not egg-like, and best of all, it was perfectly circular.

The idea to make my crepes came to me in high school when I was watching Yumeiro Patissiere. In the very first episodes of the show, the main character, Ichigo, pursues her dream to become a great pastry chef like her late grandmother. Her first challenge? Making crepes.

Ichigo really struggled making crepes. However, with the help of her friends and lots of practice, she got better at it quickly.

Since Ichigo was able to succeed pretty quickly, I figured I could do it too. So I did. Except that it did not go well. I ended up with some really thick crepes that tasted more of eggs than of a thin pancake.

After the first attempt, I decided that crepes were best left to the hands of chefs who know what they’re doing. I didn’t keep practicing like Ichigo. I was immature and afraid of failure because I didn’t know how to deal with it. And, due to my conclusion that I would never be able to do it, my excuse was that I couldn’t afford to waste more ingredients. Looking back, I realize that it wouldn’t have been “a waste” had I stuck with it and learned how to do make crepes properly. Think about it as investing for a better future.

I can’t say that I decided to try making crepes again to prove my younger self wrong– although that would be cool.

Like the majority of creations, this endeavor was also motivated by my strong sense of gluttony and love for making food affordable. I was just a broke college student that really wanted a good crepe without the guilt of spending too much money on one food item.

And thus, I challenged myself to learn how to make crepes. This time, I would persist. I can’t say that I’ve mastered crepes now, but I am pretty satisfied with where I’m at. I did practice a lot.

Subtle flex: I can make a mille-crepe cake now!

I also experimented a lot as I did practice a lot. I’ve folded crepes in different ways, incorporated different flavors, made some sweet and some savory, and even made them dairy-free with soy milk and vegetable oil. I use almond milk in this recipe because it’s what I had in the fridge, so feel free to use whatever milk fits your fancy. You could also substitute the butter for vegetable oil to make it completely dairy-free (I see you, lactose-intolerant folks)

  • Banana-Chocolate (Dairy-Free)
  • Spinach-Ham (blended spinach into the batter to make it green)
  • Breakfast Crepe (2nd attempt)

I must admit though, that the recipe varies a little every time I make them, so I must tell you what to look for when making a crepe batter so you can adjust accordingly.

Pointer Tips:

  1. Expect the batter to be runny. It should be only slightly thicker than water and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s too thick, add more water or milk.
  2. Resting the batter in the fridge thickens the batter slightly, but resting the batter helps the flour bind to the other ingredients and produce a more cohesive batter that doesn’t separate. If you chill your batter and it comes out too thick (see point #1), don’t be afraid to add more water/milk before cooking.
  3. You don’t need to chill the batter, but I’d recommend it.

Finally, let me stress that cooking the perfect crepe takes practice. Don’t expect to get a perfectly thin and round crepe on the first try. I would recommend using a round, 8″ non-stick frying pan; a 1/4 cup measuring spoon; and a thin spatula. Scoop the batter with the 1/4 cup to get a consistently even amount of batter per crepe.

There isn’t a set way to get circular crepes because I found that everyone does it differently. I had to find the method that was most comfortable to me. Personally, I find that pouring the batter slightly off center and then quickly tilting the pan counterclockwise works.

Heat-control is also really important because if the pan is too hot when you pour in the batter, it’ll be hard to make a thin crepe since the batter will cook on contact and will be less likely to spread. I like to keep my heat on low and cool the bottom of my pan with a wet towel between crepes.

Crêpes

  • Servings: 8, 8-inch crêpes
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Substitute the milk with your preferred milk-substitute. Here, I’m using almond milk. Use a lightly oiled 8-inch skillet. Pouring the batter using 1/4 Cup measuring spoons will help make the crepes look uniform.

Crêpes

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 Cup sugar
  • 1/2 Cup almond milk
  • 1/2 water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

Directions

  1. Beat eggs and salt together until homogeneous.
  2. Add sugar, flour, milk, water, and melted butter. Stir to combine.
  3. Chill the batter in the fridge for at least an hour.
  4. Lightly coat a frying pan with oil.
  5. Heat the frying pan on low heat and have a wet towel on standby.
  6. Pour about 1/4 batter onto the pan and immediately tilt the pan in a circular motion.
  7. Cook the crepe for 2-3 minutes or until the edges become easy to lift up with a spatula or your fingers.
  8. Flip the crepe and cook for an additional minute.
  9. Set the crepe aside on a plate. Cover the crepe with plastic wrap/foil.
  10. Cool the pan by placing it on the wet towel for a few seconds.
  11. Repeat steps 6-10 until batter is used up.

While I made the crepes, I made the fillings conveniently in the microwave. Feel free to use water fillings you want, but I wrote out the recipe for custard and mixed berry compote I used this time:

Filling for Berry Crepes


Custard Filling

  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 Cup almond milk
  • 1/4 Cup flour
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the egg with all the ingredients except butter.
  2. Microwave in 10-15 seconds intervals, whisking the mixture in-between.
  3. When the mixture starts to become thick (after at least 3 minutes of microwaving–yes, it’s a long process, but it saves a lot of dishes), add the butter and stir to combine.
  4. Set aside to cool.

Berry Compote

  • 1/4 Cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/4 Cup frozen blackberries
  • 1/4 Cup sugar

Directions

  1. Add all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
  2. Stir to combine.
  3. Microwave in 30 second intervals for at least 2 minutes, or until berries become soft and liquid is released.
  4. Set aside to cool.

Toppings

  • 1/2 Cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 Cup blueberries
  • 1/4 Cup blackberries
  • Chocolate syrup
  • Powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Assemble toppings onto the crepe after they have been filled!

Soft-Crust Pizza Dough

| Zoe Wong

I am very particular about pizza because my hometown has this particular mom-and-pop restaurant that makes THE BEST pizza (shoutout to Monaco’s Pizza ❤).

Monaco’s has spoiled me by not allowing myself to enjoy a slice of PizzaHut, Dominos, or Papa John. Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration because if I were truly desperate and someone gave me some chain pizza, I’d still selfishly devour it.

So, in the midst of midterms week and my frazzled mentality, I had this mad craving for pizza. Now, if I were at home, I’d be fine ’cause I know Monaco’s has got my back. But I wasn’t at home. I was 114 miles away and I didn’t know of any “good” pizza places near me.

This is when I have the crazy idea of making my own pizza. Or maybe it wan’t crazy, but GENIUS.

Me to me: “Why rely on Postmates or UberEats when you can use Google to make your cravings yourself? “

Yeah, so I Googled a recipe. I’m serious, this is usually how my cooking starts.

I get cravings, get curious how to make it, actually make it, and end up learning more about cooking.

Recipe Notes

Here’s the recipe I ended up using. Thanks, Bobby Flay.

The original recipe is pretty basic, but I wanted my crust to be pretty flavorful so I added a bunch of spices like garlic salt and cumin.

Also, the recipe doesn’t tell you how to actually use the dough after making it…which was a tad awkward after I made the dough and realized the lack of instructions. Never fear though, I figured it out for you.

After experimenting on three of my pizzas- the dough yielded four pizzas total, which I ate for four consecutive days, HA- I found that the perfect way to use and bake this crust.

A very excited me waiting for the oven to heat up so I can devour my heart-shaped pizza.

After the dough has been proofed, I roll out a portion, flatten it out with my fingers until it’s about 1/8″ thick. Then, I brush it with some olive oil. I don’t have a pastry brush in my apartment so I use my fingers. It does the job very well.

Next, I top with sauce and pizza toppings. Then, I let it sit while the oven preheats to 350°F. The dough should rise slightly. When the oven is ready, I bake for 10 minutes and broil at 525 °F for an additional 3 minutes.

Should I also mention that I proofed the dough overnight in the fridge?

Well, I proofed the dough overnight in the fridge. Yeah, I did that. And it worked, which is kind of a bad thing for me (and maybe you) to know because “I don’t have time” isn’t a valid excuse anymore. Now I know, and you too, that making pizza while cranking out three essays is very much possible and definitely not a crazy idea.

The below recipe only includes the pizza dough, but I also made my own tomato sauce and pesto sauce to go with my pizzas.

Here’s me desperately studying while eating walnut-pesto pizza.

Thin-Crust Pizza Dough

  • Servings: 4 medium-sized pizzas
  • Print

For the Dough

  • 3-4 Cups flour
  • 1 packet Active-Dry yeast
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar (or regular sugar)
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic-salt (or regular salt)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp cumin (optional)
  • 1 tsp onion powder (optional)
  • 1 1/2 Cups warm water

Ingredients


Making the Dough

  1. In a small bowl combine the warm water, 1 Tbsp of brown sugar, and yeast. Leave to proof for about 10 minutes. (how to proof yeast, here)
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, garlic salt, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and cumin until homogeneous.
  3. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour the proofed yeast in.
  4. Slowly mix in the flour together until a dough ball forms.
  5. Knead for a couple minutes until it becomes a cohesive, non-sticky dough ball.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let it rest and proof in a warm place (unheated microwave or near a window) for at least an hour. Alternatively, let it proof in the fridge overnight.

Making Pizza


1. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls.
2. Flatten out the balls into 1/8″ thick circles, or free-form it like I did. I like to make mine heart-shaped because why not?
3. Brush each pizza with 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
4. Put toppings on your pizza.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, let your pizzas rest.
6. Bake your pizza for 10 minutes at 350°F.
7. Broil at 525°F for 3 minutes.
8. Devour carefully.