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The light of day
Summer is in full bloom here in London. We arrived back from Rome to rose buds flowering in our garden - the first time they’ve bloomed since we moved into our small but mighty flat 2 years ago. London in the sun is something special. And we’re incredibly grateful for this stretch of sunshine the city is dishing out. Meanwhile, torrential rains flood the cobblestone streets of Rome. It’s like the sunshine just knows it needs to be with me right now, and I’ll take it.
Every summer I spend here in London, I surprise myself with just how excited I am about the time of the sunset. The horizon glimmers with shades of orange and pink even around 10pm. 10PM! It never ceases to amaze me and something truly spectacular to experience; especially if you, like me, grew up with the latest sunset of the summer happening around 8:30pm. These long days in London town call for even longer lunches in the park, pints by the Thames, a glass of cold bubbles in the garden.
Sunrise happens around 4:40am which means we’re enjoying about 17 hours of sunlight per day. My day on a private cheffing job this week had me up by 6am to start cooking by 8am. Just before my alarm went off at 6:15am, I woke up thinking I’d overslept. The sun was sitting in the sky as if it were 11am. The adjustment to all this daylight happens quickly and abruptly. But I’m reminded that in a blink, 3:30pm sunsets will creep up. And so, I happily and giddily enjoy every ounce of sunshine we get in this city.
With all this extra daylight, it means extra snacks. And since you read about my obsession with pizza rossa in my newsletter a few weeks ago (here it is for reference in case you missed it), I figured it was time to test a classic pizza rossa recipe right here in my home oven. And when I tell you it was perfect. It was just that. Perfect. This pizza rossa was a huge hit in the park this weekend and I just know it’ll enhance your next summer adventure - whether it’s a slice by the sea, in the park, on a hike in the mountains, or even lounging poolside. Pizza rossa does not disappoint.
Bread and dough have always held a special place in my heart. Not just because I love to eat it but because there’s something intuitive about working with it. The reward that bread offers is exciting and yes, also delicious. Especially sourdough which brought me some of the most joyous cooking memories during the pandemic. It was during that time that I started DoughGood and launched my slight obsession with baking bread. It then turned into a full-on micro-bakery of which was running out of my parents house in our home oven. I was baking 8-10 loaves per day - up at 6am to bake and folding dough well past midnight. The support I received through DoughGood far exceeded my wildest dreams - from eating the bread, donations from afar, to simply cheering me on - the community that supported me was something special.
From then on, baking bread has become like a magic power in my repertoire of recipes. Dough can be many things and adds that extra bit of love and care to so many meals. Take for instance the humble scarpetta. The piece of bread that acts as the little shoe, the scarpetta, always there to soak up the last lick of sauce that pools on your dish after the meal is finished.
Pizza rossa is not the scarpetta. It’s entirely its own thing . Its own stand alone snack which makes it a star and a hero of sorts. So, I hereby lend you my recipe for the snack you’ll be snacking on all summer. Pizza rossa.
Pizza Rossa
Ingredients
Dough
500g 00 flour
370ml of lukewarm water
5g dried yeast
12g salt
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil, plus extra for lining the bowl
Semolina or polenta for stretching and rolling out
Sauce
400g of whole peeled tomatoes
1 Tbsp of Olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Method
In a mixing bowl measure 380ml of lukewarm water into a bowl. Add the yeast and allow to dissolve before tipping the flour into the bowl. Use clean hands to mix the yeasted water with the flour until there are no dry bits of flour. Add the salt and cut into the dough, mixing until the salt is fully incorporated. Then add the olive oil and mix again. Once you have a cohesive ball of dough, rub the inside of your bowl with olive oil, return your dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in the fridge overnight or for 8-10 hours. If you haven’t accounted for an overnight proof, proof the dough in a warm place for about 2-3 hours or just about until doubled in size - be careful not to overproof in the summer heat.
To make the sauce, empty your peeled tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands. Season with salt and olive oil.
After the dough has cold proofed in the fridge, tip the dough onto a board and cut in half. Shape into rounded dough balls, tucking the edges into and under itself to create 2 rounded balls. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise another 30 minutes. If you have a baking stone, place the stone at the bottom of the oven. While the dough is rising for the final time, pre-heat your oven to the highest setting - 250C/475F. On a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle either semolina or polenta and shape the dough into a square sheet - attempting to get the dough as thin as possible. Once you have your dough shaped, spread the sauce over the dough. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are crisp to your liking. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy.
Until next time at a standing reservation…
With love & snacks,
Paige
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Need a happy moment?
This week’s happy moment brought to you by these two cuties. Need I say more?
The sun follows only the most beautiful!! Can’t wait to give pizza rossa a shot and maybe soon I’ll get to experience that rewarding bread joy :)
Can’t wait for you to come home and make this for us🤣💙