I've managed to stay strong for five solid days and am at the beginning of the sixth day. Phew. I have avoided a birthday party in the fifth grade classroom where I am student teaching and it wasn't just any birthday party. Think sheet cake the size of a standard kitchen countertop, ice cream, pop, treat bags (yes, even I, the lowly student teacher, received a treat bag). This morning I awoke to the smell of blueberry pancakes bubbling on the griddle, maple syrup warming on the stovetop, and maple infused sausage sizzling away in the pan. I figured it would be a good time for a shower, so I quickly retreated to the back bathroom and took my sweet time getting ready until all evidence of temptation had been removed. Again, phew. Did I mention the Valentine's Day candy that is STILL on top of the fridge? Is it wrong that I offer that to the kids as their after school snack, just to get rid of it?
Okay, I don't want this to turn into my sugar defiance blog so I'll stop there. But, pizza night came at me out of the blue and I didn't want to miss out on pizza but I also didn't want to lose all the ground I had gained. So I did a little searching. I'll share a pizza recipe I found in various places and combined for those of you who may be trying this sugar-less world. There are ways. You just have to dig. Let me clarify that this is not a carb free diet, or really a diet of any sort. It's just a choice. A choice to not ingest sugar as an additive to food. Naturally occurring sugar in fruits, vegetables, and grains I'm cool with. Sugar added to foods I am not down with.
The recipe:
whole wheat crust (easy, but you need to start it a couple hours before you want to eat)
sponge:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
dough:
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
To prepare the SPONGE (gross word - but yummy pizza)
-in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water
-when the yeast looks wet (about 7-10 minutes), add the flour (JUST from the sponge part of the recipe) and stir hard
-cover loosely with a damp towel and let stand at room temperature for about 40 minutes
To make the DOUGH
-stir the milk into the sponge
-in a separate bowl, combine the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt
-add the flour mixture to the sponge and stir to blend (it will be a bit crumbly and flakey)
-sprinkle a work surface with flour and knead the dough for about 10 minutes
-spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and return the dough to the bowl
-cover loosely with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in volume (about 55 minutes)
To COOK
-preheat the oven to 500 degrees F
-punch down the dough
-lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour
-roll the dough out to a 14" circle
-transfer dough to a large baking sheet or pizza stone
-arrange toppings as desired
-bake for 10-12 minutes (I like it extra crispy so I bake it for 15 minutes)
No added sugar in that crust. :)
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white pizza sauce (delicious)
About 15 minutes before the dough is done rising, start the sauce
1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup non-fat milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3-4 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (if you like it spicy)
-in a small pot melt the butter on medium high
-add the flour and make a rue
-slowly pour in the milk while stirring constantly with a wire wisk
-add the minced garlic and turn down the heat to low
-let simmer for about 2-3 minutes
-add salt, pepper, and red pepper
-stir and let simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn to the bottom
This is enough to cover two pizzas, technically, so just put on as much as you prefer - knowing that more will make for a more fattening pizza.
Spread on pizza dough and add whatever toppings your little heart desires. We put asparagus, marinated artichoke hearts, dried tomato, mozzarella, and then put fresh tomatoes on the top after it was done baking. I also sprinkled garlic salt on top before I put it in the oven.
