cheesy carby things

tomato basil (what's that? ok, whatever) cheesy bread

the teenage relations are addicted to pizza, but their folks are (understandably) loathe to constantly part with the dosh for the pie to sate their seemingly endless appetites. these growing (fortunately more up than out) kids range from 11 to 17, and their ability to hoover down the goods is mind-boggling.

so, one afternoon, i taught them a simple, relatively fast and fumbleproof bread recipe so they could make their own pizza-like creations. since the emphasis was more on cheap than authentic, we made focaccia-like pan breads which they could top with whatever was in fridge.

the basic dough recipe is 3 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1 packet of yeast, 1 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of sugar, 1 glug of olive oil. mix and knead until smooth, throw into a large storage bag or container and leave to rise for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight (or, during school) in the refrigerator. oil a baking pan, smoosh dough gently with fingertips to fit the pan, leave for at least a half hour, ideally an hour (do some homework already!), top with stuff, bung into an oven heated to 400ºF, for 20-25 minutes, depending on the shape of the pan. easy enough for kids to remember, filling enough for their guts, and cheap enough for them to be left with more money for (sigh) more ps2 games.


ham and cheesy bread