Pizza dough
A yeast dough for two pizzas, with tips on keeping the leftovers for next time.
Pizza dough (in Russian)
Recipes
Recipes
Three recipes for your first weeks with the oven: a sweet pie with shortcrust pastry, a vegetable side dish and a simple yeast loaf. Each one gives weights, approximate timings and the signs that tell you the dish is done.
Make a note of which shelf the tray was on and how many minutes the dish took. After a few attempts you'll know your oven better than any manual could tell you.
This section includes recipes that work in an ordinary home oven with no special tins: a baking tray, a bowl, a rolling pin and a sheet of baking paper are enough.
Open apple pie
A free-form pie: the pastry is rolled into a round, the apples go in the middle and the edges are folded over, so you don't need a tin at all.
You will need
- Plain wheat flour200 g
- Butter, cold100 g
- Sugar1 tbsp for the pastry and 3 tbsp for the filling
- Salta pinch
- Ice-cold water3–4 tbsp
- Apples4 medium
- Ground cinnamon½ tsp
- Cornflour (cornstarch)1 tbsp
- Egg, for glazing1
Method
Rub the butter into the flour
Mix the flour, a spoonful of sugar and the salt, add the cold butter cut into cubes and quickly rub it in with your fingertips until you have coarse, damp crumbs.
Bring the pastry together
Add the ice-cold water a spoonful at a time and bring the pastry together into a ball without kneading it for long. Wrap it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Prepare the apples
Core the apples, slice them thinly and toss them with the rest of the sugar, the cinnamon and the cornflour.
Shape the pie
Roll the pastry out directly on baking paper into a round about 3 mm thick. Pile the apples in the centre, leaving a 4–5 cm border, and fold the border over the filling so it overlaps.
Bake
Brush the edges with beaten egg. Bake on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 180 °C for 40–45 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apple juices are bubbling thickly.
Tip: If the apples are very juicy, sprinkle a spoonful of dried breadcrumbs over the centre of the pastry before adding the filling: that way the bottom of the pie stays crisp.
Herb-roasted vegetables
A one-tray side dish: the vegetables are cut into large pieces, tossed with oil and herbs and roasted until tender with golden edges.
You will need
- Potatoes4 medium
- Carrots2
- Courgette (zucchini)1 small
- Sweet pepper1
- Onion1 large
- Garlic3 cloves
- Vegetable oil3 tbsp
- Dried herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano1 tsp
- Salt½ tsp
- Ground black pepperto taste
Method
Cut into large pieces
Cut the potatoes and carrots into slightly thinner wedges and the courgette, pepper and onion into bigger chunks: they cook faster and release more juice.
Toss with oil
Put the vegetables in a bowl, add the oil, salt, pepper, herbs and crushed garlic, and toss with your hands until every piece glistens.
Spread out in a single layer
Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the vegetables out loosely in one layer. If it's crowded, use a second tray: piled up thickly, vegetables stew in their own juices instead of browning.
Roast
Put the tray on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 180 °C for 40–50 minutes. After about 25 minutes, turn the vegetables over with a spatula.
Check they're done
A knife should slide easily into the potatoes, and the edges of the vegetables should be golden. If they need more colour, move the tray up a shelf for the last 5–10 minutes.
Tip: You can add the courgette and pepper to the tray 15 minutes after the potatoes and carrots — that way they hold their shape and don't turn to mush.
Homemade white loaf
A simple loaf made with dried yeast: the dough is kneaded by hand, left to rise, shaped and baked on a tray.
You will need
- Plain wheat flour500 g
- Warm water320 ml
- Dried yeast7 g (2 tsp)
- Sugar1 tsp
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Vegetable oil1 tbsp
Method
Activate the yeast
Stir the yeast and sugar into water that is lukewarm, about body temperature, and leave for 10 minutes until a foamy layer forms on top.
Knead
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt, then pour in the yeast mixture and the oil. Knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.
Let it rise
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it somewhere warm for 1–1.5 hours, until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Shape the loaf
Knock the dough back, roll it into a tight log and place it seam side down on a tray lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to rise for another 30–40 minutes.
Bake
Make a few diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf. Bake for the first 10 minutes in a well-preheated, very hot oven, then turn it down to 180 °C and bake for another 25–30 minutes.
Leave to cool
The finished loaf is golden all over and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Cool it on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
Tip: Put a bowl of hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven for the first few minutes of baking: in moist air the loaf rises better and the crust comes out thinner.
What to bake next
A few more dishes from the guide that follow on nicely from these recipes.
Seafood pizza
A thin base, a really hot oven and a topping that doesn't turn rubbery.
Seafood pizza (in Russian)
Meatloaf
A meatloaf with egg and herbs, plus safety rules for meat dishes.
Meatloaf (in Russian)
Seasonal ideas
What to bake and roast in summer, autumn and winter, and how to put together a festive table.
See also
- Ingredients
Wheat flour, yeast, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, butter, eggs and cheese: choosing, storing, using.
- Techniques
Oven modes, preheating, rack levels, baking paper and tins, plus three ways to check that food is done.
- Pizza dough (in Russian)
Our yeast dough for two pizzas: how to knead it, how to tell it has risen and what to do with any leftover dough.
- Seafood pizza (in Russian)
Seafood pizza in an ordinary oven: thawing, a really hot preheat and a juicy topping that doesn't dry out.
- Meatloaf (in Russian)
Meatloaf with egg and herbs: shaping, baking to a safe temperature in the centre, slicing and storing.
- Seasonal
Summer vegetables on a tray, autumn apple and pumpkin pies, winter baking and the festive table.
What we draw on
- cookery reference books and home recipes
- the guide's own editorial material
Times and temperatures in our recipes are a guide, not a rule: every oven heats in its own way, and flour and other ingredients behave a little differently each time. Go by the colour of the crust, the smell and the signs of doneness, not just the timer.