Happy New Year!
I know I said I was taking January off, but truthfully I miss baking for you all.
The beginning of a new year is sort of a clean slate in my mind, so I like to start with clean closets and getting rid of anything we truly don’t use or need. Somehow it took a lot less time this year- and as much as I want to believe I have become more organized in my old age- I think I have just become more realistic.
A beautifully organized closet can only stay organized for so long, so I would rather spend the time doing something more fruitful. Izzy was home for an entire month- which is a luxury I have never enjoyed since she swam every year and had to be back for training. And this time next year, she will likely be working throughout Christmas, so I really savored the time with her.
And since this year marks our 4th year of Schone’s Scones, we also did a rebranding and updated our website. It was a family endeavor- started by Izzy and Lil taking a wrong turn and seeing a sign that inspired them. They came home and jotted down their ideas and we sent their sketches to the graphic designer we had hired. We are really happy with the final product- and hope you all like it as well.
Truthfully, I just had to stop and count the months because I cannot believe it has been almost 4 years since we started this little bakery. What began as an activity to pass the time during a global pandemic has grown into more than I could have ever imagined.
Our bakery community has kept me sane as I sent both of my daughters off to college, sent a son to high school and took Boeden to the urgent care on a regular basis for injuries that really defy all logic. Seriously, this bakery filled a void, before I even knew the void existed. My girls leaving was hard. It’s still hard. I really really like spending time with them. I honestly can’t imagine how I would have handled the change to an all male household if I had infinite free time…And the bakery doesn’t really feel like a job. It allows me to connect with so many people, and do what I love to do. Feeding people is truly my love language. And if I had not started baking for you all- my sweet boys would be 5000 pounds and diabetic by now!
I also know that January is when most of us try to get back to our healthy lifestyle to undo all the holiday gluttony. I was going to offer more healthy items at first, but then I realized many of my baked goods are likely being consumed by kids, who really don’t care about calories or grams of sugar! But if you are trying to stay true to some new year’s resolutions- just know I won’t be offended if you don’t order! I get it!!
Izzy signed us up for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler….and since it’s a lottery, I assumed we would not get a slot. But being the lucky person I am, we did indeed get a spot, so while she was home, we started running together. Nothing says you are old and out of shape better than running with your college athlete daughter. She makes it look effortless, while I am writing my own obituary in my mind every single step I run. But, the race is in April, along with my 50th birthday, so I decided this is the perfect time to make my health and wellness a priority.
My hungry boys just came in from the snow, so I am off to make pizza. Happy New Year. I love our little bakery family and consider it a privilege to bake for all of you!
Xo,
Heather
Ps- I have been making pizza on Friday nights for almost 20 years. I never had a pizza dough recipe I loved. A few months ago I found the world's easiest pizza dough recipe- and we all love it. I will attach it below in case any of you make pizza!
Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)*
1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil, plus more for pan and brushing on dough
1 teaspoon salt
3 and 1/2 cups (about 450g) unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and surface
sprinkle of cornmeal for dusting the pan
Instructions
Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. *If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.
Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes (for a visual, watch me do it in the video above). The dough can be a little too heavy for a mixer to knead it, but you can certainly use the mixer on low speed instead. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray—just use the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size. (Tip: For the warm environment on a particularly cold day, heat your oven to 150°F (66°C). Turn the oven off, place the dough inside, and keep the door slightly ajar. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. When it’s doubled in size, remove from the oven.)
Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C). Allow it to heat for at least 15-20 minutes as you shape the pizza. (If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well.) Lightly grease baking sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray or olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, which gives the crust extra crunch and flavor.
Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half. (If not making 2 pizzas, freeze half of the dough for another time. See freezing instructions below.) On a lightly floured work surface using lightly floured hands or rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a disc. Place on prepared pan and, using lightly floured hands, stretch and flatten the disc into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to stretch it, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly for 5-10 minutes, then try again. Once shaped into a 12-inch circle, lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. I simply pinch the edges up to create the rim. If using a pizza stone, place the dough directly on baker’s peels dusted with cornmeal.
Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for a few minutes as you prepare your pizza toppingsTop & bake the pizza: Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. To prevent the filling from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the top lightly with olive oil. Top with your favorite toppings and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
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