Newbies, go make pizza!!

[**jessireebob**]

Well I don't know what took me so long, but two weekends ago I finally got over my fear and took some buckwheat, opened up Alissa's book, and made half a pizza crust recipe. Kind of combined the Easier and Easiest crust recipes. Used Rich Cheddar cheeze instead of hers. Even used Carmella's pomodora instead of Alissa's sauce (I hate sundried toms). Piled it high with goodies and crossed my fingers that all my fiddling and tweaking would work...

And boy did it ever! It was delicious. DELICIOUS! And TOTALLY took care of my cravings for cheesy bready pizza.

Any newbies out there who are putting it off b/c it seems so involved and complicated, take my word for it, it's soooooo much easier than you think! There's tons of room for error and tweaking, and the final result is wonderful!

**says Jess as she gobbles down the final slice of her THIRD pizza in 2 weeks!**

[Morn]

REALLY! I am not new but have also feared trying it as none of my bread recipes have turned out. I have some buckwheat in the cupboard right now! I guess I will have to take the plunge now!

[**jessireebob**]

Morn, I hope it turns out well! I'd never ued buckwheat before in any recipe, and when I made these, I used already soaked, sprouted, and dehydrated buckwheat (I didn't know what else to do with it and didn't like buckwheaties).

When I tasted the crust before making the pizza and dehydrating it all together, I really didn't like it. But once it was all put together and dehydrated for several more hours, it was so tasty!

[Morn]

Thanks for the tip. I too bought buckwheat and haven't touched it for anything so I can't wait to use some of it! How long did it take for your buckwheat to sprout and how long to dehydrate the crust? Just wanted to figure out when I need to start soaking this to make it for the weekend?

[tvillemom]

I like to take my sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat and grind it up into flour. I find that I like the "buckwheat breads" better if everything gets ground up really good!;) Just a tip....and by the way, I think buckwheat is the EASIEST THING to sprout, and use in bread recipes! Good luck, Morn, let us know how it goes!
Jessireebob: I like buckwheaties ONLY with bananas, honey, raisins....like, I have to have ALOT of "sweet" and other flavors going on with the buckwheaties, with the milk, for me to like it. Maybe this will help you.

Wendi

[**jessireebob**]

Morn, the buckwheat took about a day and a half to sprout. My first crust I think I dehydrated overnight, so 9ish hours, and then once the pizza was put together, I dehydrated that final product for another 6 hours.

*My second and third crusts (I seem to get two pizzas per crust recipe) I over dehydrated, so ground it up with water and dehydrated again! It worked just fine.

Tvillemom, thanks for the advice re: buckwheaties. I'll try it out!

[tvillemom]

HEY, MORN...we're on together!! It usually takes me: 1 night to soak, 1 full day of rinsing and sprouting, and ready to throw in the dehydrator maybe by the first night or next morning after sprouting, and about 8-12 hours to dehydrate.....good luck. The "tails" on buckwheat do not have to be long at all....kinda look like MINI hershey kisses;) Let me know how it goes. I always feel successful when I sprout buckwheat. Just don't do too much at a time, or they tend to ferment while they sprout on top of each other. What method do you use to sprout....I throw my soaked buckwheat in a colander with small slits (so they don't fall out) and rinse 3-4 times a day....as much as possible. (They also get "jelly-like" so rinse, rinse, rinse)
I can't wait to hear your experience!
Wendi

[**jessireebob**]

:D

We're all on together! And yep, what Tvillemom said!

[tvillemom]

:D I love it when this happens......I feel even more connected to my raw friends!:D
Wendi

[Morn]

Thank you both for the tips. I have sprouted in bowls and sprouting bags. But for this one I will try a sprouting jar I just bought at Good Foods. It is nice because it has a filter on the top so it should be easier to rinse then and dump the water out. The only thing is should I cover my sprouting jar with a towel like I would if I was sprouting in a bowl?

[tvillemom]

Morn, I don't cover mine with anything. I guess you could....
I like the sound of your sprouting jar....I've considered buying a "contraption" to help with sprouting the smaller (tiny) seeds. Good luck.
Wendi

[luna99]

that pizza sounds soooo good.. and i've really been in need lately of something different to eat that would satisfy a bread-ish type taste.

so do I just find buckwheat at my local health food store? what does it look like before you sprout it? is it like little seeds? or beans? or what? lol.

thanks!

[Fuzzypeach]

Thanks for the advice about the raw pizza. This is just another thing telling me to start making more recipes. I have Alissa's book and have read it several times, but the only thing I have made is the pasta and the strawberry crapes. Cooking does intimidate me greatly, but I just need to get over it and dive in head first. I never even cooked before I was raw.

Thanks for the gentle encouragement and push!

[Raw Creator]

Jess,

Thanks for starting this thread. Though I made Alissa's strawberry crepes with delicious success, I've been hesitant to dive into the bread recipes. Your post is encouraging! Last night, I made a batch of the marinara- it tasted a bit off. I decided I prefer fresh tomatoes to sundried.

Thrive,
RC

[**jessireebob**]

Morn, I didn't cover mine either. Just made sure to rinse often and rinse well.

Wendi, what kind of seeds can one sprout? Things like sesame seeds? :)

Luna, I couldn't find buckwheat at wholefoods, but did find it at my local coop market. It looks like a triangular tear drop. Kind of. I don't know if that makes sense! But it's really different from what I was excpecting. Very cute little buggers!

Fuzzypeach, I tried several of Alissa's recipes and didn't like them, and the pizza seemed so long and involved and like there were just so many parts I could mess up. But it turned out to be so much easier than I'd expected. And totally worth it.

RawCreator, I agree re: tomato sauce. I really dislike sundried toms, and was thrilled to find Carmella's pomodora sauce recipe. It's somewhere on this board, but goes as follows:

3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes diced quite small -make sure you use ripe, yummy tomatoes!
1/2 c. (I used about 1/4 c.) olive oil
2 t fresh minced or ground garlic
sweet onion diced (to taste)
¼ - ½ tsp. each of oregano, basil, thyme & rosemary (or 1-2 tsp. of
Italian Seasoning)
Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Mix in a bowl and cover; you can also pulse quickly in the food
processor if you don't want it too chunky. Fresh basil is yummy in
this. Let the sauce sit at room temperature 3-5 hours. Serve over
zucchini angel hair pasta.

I think this weekend I will try making a bunch of crusts that I can freeze. Yay pizza!

[portiz]

HEY, MORN...we're on together!! It usually takes me: 1 night to soak, 1 full day of rinsing and sprouting, and ready to throw in the dehydrator maybe by the first night or next morning after sprouting, and about 8-12 hours to dehydrate.....good luck. The "tails" on buckwheat do not have to be long at all....kinda look like MINI hershey kisses;) Let me know how it goes. I always feel successful when I sprout buckwheat. Just don't do too much at a time, or they tend to ferment while they sprout on top of each other. What method do you use to sprout....I throw my soaked buckwheat in a colander with small slits (so they don't fall out) and rinse 3-4 times a day....as much as possible. (They also get "jelly-like" so rinse, rinse, rinse)
I can't wait to hear your experience!
Wendi

I had just started another thread needing this very answer!! Thanx a bunch...i will be writing in my notes!!!


that pizza sounds soooo good.. and i've really been in need lately of something different to eat that would satisfy a bread-ish type taste.

so do I just find buckwheat at my local health food store? what does it look like before you sprout it? is it like little seeds? or beans? or what? lol.

thanks!

I bought the buckwheat for about $3/lb from www.bulkfoods.com. I must have let out a laugh becasue of the way they looked...it reminded me of white ant/bug heads. they're like a cross between a seed and a bean. weird.
lol

[Rawkinlocs]

I love Alissa's pizza made with her calzone crust recipe for the pizza crust! It's kinda similar to the "Easy Crust" recipe, but slightly different. Both use buckwheat.

I also wanted to clarify that the pomodora sauce is Carmel's (Sweetgoddess is her username) and not Carmella. :) I LOVE that sauce too! I make it on the zucchini pasta as it is lighter and I LOVE fresh basil in it! YUMMY!

Mmmm...this is giving me a hankering for some now! And I DO have a couple of mini-crusts in the freezer! YAY!


Morn, I didn't cover mine either. Just made sure to rinse often and rinse well.

Wendi, what kind of seeds can one sprout? Things like sesame seeds? :)

Luna, I couldn't find buckwheat at wholefoods, but did find it at my local coop market. It looks like a triangular tear drop. Kind of. I don't know if that makes sense! But it's really different from what I was excpecting. Very cute little buggers!

Fuzzypeach, I tried several of Alissa's recipes and didn't like them, and the pizza seemed so long and involved and like there were just so many parts I could mess up. But it turned out to be so much easier than I'd expected. And totally worth it.

RawCreator, I agree re: tomato sauce. I really dislike sundried toms, and was thrilled to find Carmella's pomodora sauce recipe. It's somewhere on this board, but goes as follows:

3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes diced quite small -make sure you use ripe, yummy tomatoes!
1/2 c. (I used about 1/4 c.) olive oil
2 t fresh minced or ground garlic
sweet onion diced (to taste)
¼ - ½ tsp. each of oregano, basil, thyme & rosemary (or 1-2 tsp. of
Italian Seasoning)
Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Mix in a bowl and cover; you can also pulse quickly in the food
processor if you don't want it too chunky. Fresh basil is yummy in
this. Let the sauce sit at room temperature 3-5 hours. Serve over
zucchini angel hair pasta.

I think this weekend I will try making a bunch of crusts that I can freeze. Yay pizza!

[Blazin'Jane]

What fun! I'm going to make the pizza for my Vegetarian gourmet Group that will meet ant the end of the month. The recipe looks formidable to me, however -- so many steps and ingredients, and all, so I'm about to make a practice one. I'm doing the fancy crust with wild rice and barley -- that's how far I've gotten. Thanks for all the good conversation. Stay tunes ...
Jane;)

[luna99]

thanks everyone. I actually bought some buckwheat yesterday at my health food store here.. I wasn't sure if what I bought was what I needed so I asked the guy there working in the bulk foods..

"excuse me...um..will these sprout? I mean.. if I soak these, will they sprout?"
"ummmmmmmmmmm. yeah." and he gave me a "duh" look with it. :rolleyes:

lol. either way, I'm excited to finally try some buckwheat recipes!

[**jessireebob**]

I also wanted to clarify that the pomodora sauce is Carmel's (Sweetgoddess is her username) and not Carmella. :) I LOVE that sauce too! I make it on the zucchini pasta as it is lighter and I LOVE fresh basil in it! YUMMY!

Whoopsie! Thanks for the correction Rawkinlocs!

[Ama]

You actually don't need to soak buckwheat for that long. I soak for 15-30 minutes then drain. It usually sprouts by the next day. This makes it quicker and also prevents that *jelly* type thing that happens when you soak for a while.

[Beckla]

I absolutely second that. And add to it to try the lasagna... it was SO easy!!!!

[Morn]

Thanks Ama for the information!

[Rawsome Ginger]

Where do you find buckwheat and is there a raw or something special on should be looking for?

[Donna]

Pizza is my SAD weakness "food." I am anxiously awaiting my copy of Alissa's book (should arrive today!!!!) so that I can try some of these recipes ya'll rave about!

Will stop at the food co-op today to try to find buckwheat and start the sprouting process.

Oh, I use a canning jar for my sprouter and instead of the metal lid I use a piece of cheese cloth or a piece of a nylon stocking to make draining easier.

PS: We need a "thumbs up" smiley

Went to Food Co-op today and they only have roasted buckwheat. I'll have to check out the other health food store in the area. Looked at bulkfoods.com. It costs more to package the buckwheat $4.95(?) and ship it ($6.88) than to buy it ($3.53)! Definitley need to find some place less expensive!

[portiz]

Okay!!! the buckwheat's a'sprouted...and so tonight's pizza night!
:D
Next time though, I will soak for about 15 minutes like Ama said. That slimy water was sooooo gross looking. I'm also going to try using a bowl vs. my EZ sprouter from www.sproutpeople.com I guess I can use a nut milk bag to drain them easier.
Well, que sera, sera...chalk it up to learning experience. :rolleyes:

PS...Alissa's book is a godsend!! I've been carrying it everywhere with me so if I have a moment's notice, I can read it.

[Raw Creator]

"RawCreator, I agree re: tomato sauce. I really dislike sundried toms, and was thrilled to find Carmella's pomodora sauce recipe. It's somewhere on this board, but goes as follows: . . ."


Jess, I just spotted your reply - THANKS! Already salivating; this is much yummier to me than the sd toms.

Buckets of thanks!

Thrive,
RC

[laurabfig]

Where do you find buckwheat and is there a raw or something special on should be looking for?

I found it at my local health food store in the bulk section by the lentils and other beans. It said "buckwheat groats". Someone else already said it but they do look like little tiny hershey's kisses in a way..kind of triangular and tiny.

I'm off to soak mine now. I have been wanting to try pizza for the past few days. I really didn't eat pizza that much in my SAD, but now I am just craving it like crazy.

[tirunesh]

Thank you both for the tips. I have sprouted in bowls and sprouting bags. But for this one I will try a sprouting jar I just bought at Good Foods. It is nice because it has a filter on the top so it should be easier to rinse then and dump the water out. The only thing is should I cover my sprouting jar with a towel like I would if I was sprouting in a bowl?

I guess it helps to have something to fuss about but, I just sprout in whatever.

[tisha]

What's the difference between buckwheat and wheat. I have wheat. Can I sprout that for a pizza crust?

thanks,
tisha