late summer makes me feel like i'm in a mad dash against time. the tuesday after labor day instils in me this sudden urgency to soak up the last beach days, get all my little swimmers as far as they can go before we break for the cold months and this intense need to cook and gobble up every last bit of summer produce. 

seriously, why is it that so many of my favorite fruits are here for a blink and then gone? figs are on the top of my list. i know that come october, they will be impossible to get a hold of. so i will continue to pick up a pack at every store i stop in till the last possible second. 

but mass amounts of figs at my house means i have to find lots of uses for them. i was recently having lunch with my friend shireen and she mentioned that she was dying for a fig newton (pregnancy craving) but that when she looked at the nutritional info it was awful. with her in mind, i wanted something that taste just as delicious as that favorite childhood snack, but with way less effort. because ain't nobody got time for that. especially not me. 

fig + blackberry galette
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
inactive time: 30 minutes
bake time: 55 minutes
total time: 2 hours
ingredients:
for crust - 1 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting. 1 tsp sugar. 1 pinch kosher salt. 6 tbs cold butter, cubed into .5 inch pieces. .25 cup ice cold water. plastic wrap. rolling pin.
for filling - 12 oz sliced black figs. 12 oz blackberries. 3 tbs melted butter. 3 tbs sugar. 1 tsp lemon zest. pinch of kosher salt. baking sheet. parchment paper or silicone baking mat. plastic pastry cutter (optional). 

start by making your crust. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. add in half the butter. 

use your hands or a pastry cutter. 

combine until your mixture starts to turn into pieces the size of a small pea. 

add in the rest of the butter and continue combining with your hands or the cutter till you have bigger chunks. about the size of a larger bean. 

pour in your water and mix till completely combined. form the dough into a rough ball. 

flatten out the dough, and wrap it up in plastic wrap. refrigerate for 30 minutes. preheating your oven to 400 degrees. once your dough has chilled, flour a clean surface and lightly flour your rolling pin. 

roll your dough out till it is about an eighth of an inch thick. transfer your dough to the parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. 

fill the dough with the fruit and lemon zest, leaving a two inch boarder all the way around. 

fold the edges of your galette in. sprinkle the fruit and edges of the dough with the sugar.

drizzle your melted butter over the top and brush the edges of the crust so that the crust is lightly coated with butter. 

bake for 50-55 minutes till the edges are golden brown. remove from the oven, allow it to cool slightly and serve warm. bonus points if you serve it topped with ice cream or whipped cream. 

xo, a

fig + blackberry galette
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
inactive time: 30 minutes
bake time: 55 minutes
total time: 2 hours
ingredients:
for crust - 1 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting. 1 tsp sugar. 1 pinch kosher salt. 6 tbs cold butter, cubed into .5 inch pieces. .25 cup ice cold water. plastic wrap. rolling pin. for filling - 12 oz sliced black figs. 12 oz blackberries. 3 tbs melted butter. 3 tbs sugar. 1 tsp lemon zest. pinch of kosher salt. baking sheet. parchment paper or silicone baking mat. plastic pastry cutter (optional).
start by making your crust. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. add in half the butter. use your hands or a pastry cutter. combine until your mixture starts to turn into pieces the size of a small pea. add in the rest of the butter and continue combining with your hands or the cutter till you have bigger chunks. about the size of a larger bean. pour in your water and mix till completely combined. form the dough into a rough ball. flatten out the dough, and wrap it up in plastic wrap. refrigerate for 30 minutes. preheating your oven to 400 degrees. once your dough has chilled, flour a clean surface and lightly flour your rolling pin. roll your dough out till it is about an eighth of an inch thick. transfer your dough to the parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. fill the dough with the fruit and lemon zest, leaving a two inch boarder all the way around. fold the edges of your galette in. sprinkle the fruit and edges of the dough with the sugar. drizzle your melted butter over the top and brush the edges of the crust so that the crust is lightly coated with butter. bake for 50-55 minutes till the edges are golden brown. remove from the oven, allow it to cool slightly and serve warm. bonus points if you serve it topped with ice cream or whipped cream. 

this weekend, wes and i are catering for a small back yard wedding. and the very clever hostess of the party selected a menu of mostly pizzas. in the past, i've always used a dough purchased at the local italian specialty store. but it has always been my experience that things made fresh and with excited, passionate hands, make the best tasting foods. so i decided it was time to take the dough into my own hands and develop my own recipe and technique. 

homemade pizza dough is surprisingly easy to make. it requires few ingredients and little effort. the one main ingredient you need to make it right? time. 

don't try to rush your dough. make it the night before. giving your yeast time to activate and make your dough rise is not enough. it needs time for the starches to transform to delicious sugars that will give your crust extra doses of flavor. sure, you cane make the dough a few ours a head if you are in a pinch, but for full results, be patient! 

homemade pizza dough
serves: 4 small pizza crusts (each pizza serves 2 people)
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
inactive time: 12 hours
total time: 12 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 4.5 cups bread flour + a bit extra for dusting the surface and rolling pins. 1.5 cups warm water (about 105-110 degrees f). 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 2.25 tsp dry active yeast. 2 tsp salt. 1 tsp sugar. stand mixer with dough hook attachment. large bowl. plastic wrap. rolling pin. 

start by combining 3.75 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. turn your mixer on slow to gently combine the ingredients. 

with the mixer on, pour in the warm water and let it mix to combine. 

as it is mixing, pour in 2 tbs of your olive oil. 

when all of your liquid is combined, and the dough is starting to become more of a wet mixture, turn the speed on your mixer up to medium. mix your dough until it starts to form a rough, but still sticky ball. here is where you will need to use your judgement. many factors like the temperature and humidity in the air can effect how wet or dry your dough is. if it seems too sticky and unworkable, add a bit more flour to the dough, 1 tbs at a time until right. if it seems really dry and not sticky at all, add in some warm water 1 tbs at a time. getting your dough together should take about 4-6 minutes in the mixer. while your dough is mixing, use 1 tbs of olive oil to lightly oil the inside of your bowl. 

on a clean and dry work surface, sprinkle half of the remaining flour. turn the sticky dough out onto the surface and light work it till it starts to come together in a ball. by the time you are done with it, it should not be be sticky, but should not be covered in flour and difficult to work. 

when your dough is in a ball, place it in your bowl and cover with plastic wrap. place the dough in a warm, dry spot and allow it to rise for 12 hours.

when the dough has risen, sprinkle a dry, clean work surface with the remaining flour. turn out your dough onto the surface. cut the dough into equal quarters and work each into its own dough ball. now you have a choice. you can use the dough right away or you can store balls of dough individually in an airtight container lightly brushed with oil for up to 5 days. 

to use your dough, start by preheating your oven to 450-500 degrees f. whatever you are baking your pizza on, put it in the oven while it preheats. gently flatten out your ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface. lightly dust your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough until your dough is about an eighth of an inch thick. add any desired toppings and brush the crust with the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil. use a pizza peel or large, lightly floured spatula to move the pizza to its hot baking vehicle. bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes, till the crust is golden brown and the pizza is crispy. allow the pizza to cool till the cheese has stopped bubbling and has solidified a bit. slice and serve.

xo, a

homemade pizza dough
serves: 4 small pizza crusts (each pizza serves 2 people)
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
inactive time: 12 hours
total time: 12 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 4.5 cups bread flour + a bit extra for dusting the surface and rolling pins. 1.5 cups warm water (about 105-110 degrees f). 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 2.25 tsp dry active yeast. 2 tsp salt. 1 tsp sugar. stand mixer with dough hook attachment. large bowl. plastic wrap. rolling pin. start by combining 3.75 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. turn your mixer on slow to gently combine the ingredients. with the mixer on, pour in the warm water and let it mix to combine. as it is mixing, pour in 2 tbs of your olive oil. when all of your liquid is combined, and the dough is starting to become more of a wet mixture, turn the speed on your mixer up to medium. mix your dough until it starts to form a rough, but still sticky ball. here is where you will need to use your judgement. many factors like the temperature and humidity in the air can effect how wet or dry your dough is. if it seems too sticky and unworkable, add a bit more flour to the dough, 1 tbs at a time until right. if it seems really dry and not sticky at all, add in some warm water 1 tbs at a time. getting your dough together should take about 4-6 minutes in the mixer. while your dough is mixing, use 1 tbs of olive oil to lightly oil the inside of your bowl. on a clean and dry work surface, sprinkle half of the remaining flour. turn the sticky dough out onto the surface and light work it till it starts to come together in a ball. by the time you are done with it, it should not be be sticky, but should not be covered in flour and difficult to work. when your dough is in a ball, place it in your bowl and cover with plastic wrap. place the dough in a warm, dry spot and allow it to rise for 12 hours. when the dough has risen, sprinkle a dry, clean work surface with the remaining flour. turn out your dough onto the surface. cut the dough into equal quarters and work each into its own dough ball. now you have a choice. you can use the dough right away or you can store balls of dough individually in an airtight container lightly brushed with oil for up to 5 days. to use your dough, start by preheating your oven to 450-500 degrees f. whatever you are baking your pizza on, put it in the oven while it preheats. gently flatten out your ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface. lightly dust your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough until your dough is about an eighth of an inch thick. add any desired toppings and brush the crust with the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil. use a pizza peel or large, lightly floured spatula to move the pizza to its hot baking vehicle. bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes, till the crust is golden brown and the pizza is crispy. allow the pizza to cool till the cheese has stopped bubbling and has solidified a bit. slice and serve.