๐Ÿž Baking Inspo: Soft Rolls, Crunchy Pizza, & More


Soft Rolls, Pizza, & More

Thanks, everyone, for your enthusiasm and support for my announcement last week! Now you know why I've been working so hard on pizza the past couple of years ๐Ÿ™‚

If you're into sourdough pizza (which you definitely should be), you'll love my new book coming out later this year.

BUT, let's talk about rolls, a hearty bread, banana bread, baguettes, and a few other things.

Read on for some weekend baking inspo!

In this week's newsletter:

  • Recipes: Soft rolls, buckwheat sourdough, Detroit pizza, banana bread, baguettes
  • Baking Help: Can I freeze sourdough pizza dough?
  • Sourdough Links: Rome's most legendary pizzeria; Diversity of sourdough microbiomes

๐Ÿž Soft sourdough rolls

While these certainly make a Thanksgiving appearance, I like to pull this card for a large family mealโ€”they'll be perfect for any upcoming Easter lunch or dinner you've got planned!

They're also fun to use as slider buns... Just sayin'.

๐Ÿž Buckwheat and Malt Sourdough

A new recipe at the site, and this packs a super flavorful punch. Scalding buckwheat amplifies its earthy flavor, and the pungent anise in the recipe balances it out so well. This is a hearty bread that's incredibly satisfying (both to bake and eat!).

๐Ÿ• Detroit pizza

This is a really fun (and surprisingly easy) pizza to make in a home oven, and it's great for feeding a crowd. Crunchy, crispy crust meets soft and chewy centerโ€”the best of both worlds.

๐Ÿž Sourdough discard banana Bread

I've been trying for the past few months to improve on this banana bread recipe... and honestly, I just can't seem to do it. It's kind of perfect.

๐Ÿž Sourdough Baguettes

I make these on the regular because it's a lot like learning a new language (or in my case, a musical instrument ๐ŸŽน): you just gotta put in the reps. They're worth the effort, trust me.

๐Ÿ• In Case You Missed It: My new cookbook!

I wrote a new book! Everything I know about sourdough pizza and focaccia, including ways to reuse pizza dough for lots of other things (English muffins, sub rolls, and more).

The first half of the book dives into the technique of making great pizza at home, from mixing the dough just right and scheduling it to be ready when you want it to a collection of my favorite topping combinations.


๐Ÿ’ฌ Member Discussion of the Week

I love this pizza dough recipe โ€” it's become my go-to. My husband just bought a used pizza oven, and I'm excited to try it. Do you have a recommendation for making the dough ahead and freezing it? When's the best point to freeze, and how should I thaw it?

I actually don't recommend freezing pizza dough because I find parbaking works much better. Stretch your pizza, then bake it about 75% of the way through. Pull it before it's fully done, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly and store in the fridge or freezer. When you're ready to eat, finish it in a hot oven for a few minutes until the crust crisps up and the cheese is bubbling.

You get all the convenience of make-ahead pizza without sacrificing texture or rise.


๐Ÿ›Ÿ 2 Ways I Can Help You Today

  • Speaking of stretches and folds, here's my complete guide to the bulk fermentation stepโ€”I'd argue this is the most crucial step of the entire bread (and pizza) making process (aside from your starter, of course).
    โ€‹
  • I recently added more help to my sourdough starter frequently asked questions pageโ€”if you have a question about your starter, it's undoubtedly here (and if not, reply and let me know!).

๐Ÿ“™ What I'm Reading and Listening To

Happy baking!

Maurizio Leo

P.S. If you have any suggestions on how best to learn piano for a budding student eager to learn, let me know! I'm hoping being a baker and pizza maker might help me with the handwork... that's left to be seen ๐Ÿ™‚

โ€‹Join me in the member's community, master sourdough, and get baker's perks.

Thank you for subscribing ๐Ÿฉถ. Sent from Maurizio at The Perfect Loaf, 8100 Wyoming Blvd NE Ste M4, #343, Albuquerque, NM 87113.
โ€‹Unsubscribe ยท Preferencesโ€‹

The Perfect Loaf ๐Ÿž

Want to make bakery-quality sourdough bread from home? Subscribe for the best sourdough guides and recipes to take your bread from ordinary to incredible.

Read more from The Perfect Loaf ๐Ÿž

I wrote a pizza book I've been working on something for a long time, and I'm ready to share it with you. My second book, The Perfect Pizza: The Craft and Science of Homemade Pizza, Focaccia, Flatbreads, and More, is available for pre-order. This book picks up where The Perfect Loaf left off. Every recipe is naturally leavened with a sourdough starter, no commercial yeast. I wrote it for home ovens first (though I cover other setups too), with recipes that range from a go-to weeknight pizza...

My spring baking reset If your baking has felt heavy and slow all winter, this is your reset. Three recipes this week, all built for speed and simplicityโ€”but also recipes I find myself drawn to in the spring (apricots, herbs!). My pain de mie is sandwich bread that quietly outperforms everything else in your bread box. Soft, fine-crumbed, and engineered for slicing. The sourdough discard lemon cake that leans into spring without trying too hard, IMO. It's bright, tender, and a perfect way to...

An Ode to Sourdough Bagels For the past few weeks, I've been working on updates to my Sourdough Bagel recipe (both in my cookbook and on the website). They're pretty awesome as-is, but I've been adding a little whole-grain flour, a different same-day fermentation schedule, and a way for me to make these easier on the regular (we eat a lot of bagels here!). Here's what I've been playing with in this recipe: Using my pasta madre (panettone starter) for low acidity. A regular starter can be...