Pizza Time

Category: Food

  • Brewing Better Coffee at Home

    You do not need an expensive espresso machine to make excellent coffee at home. A few simple changes to how you buy, store and brew your beans can make a bigger difference than any gadget.

    Start with fresh beans

    Coffee is at its best within a few weeks of roasting. Look for bags with a roast date rather than just a best-before date, and buy smaller amounts more often. Store beans in an airtight container away from light and heat; the fridge is not a good place for them.

    Grind just before brewing

    Ground coffee loses its aroma quickly. A burr grinder produces more even particles than a blade grinder, which leads to a more balanced cup. Match the grind to your method: coarse for a French press, medium for filter coffee, fine for espresso.

    Get the ratio right

    A good starting point for filter coffee is about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water. Use a kitchen scale for consistency. If the coffee tastes sour or weak, grind finer; if it tastes bitter or harsh, grind coarser.

    Mind the water

    Coffee is mostly water, so its quality matters. Use filtered water if your tap water has a strong taste, and let boiling water rest for about thirty seconds before pouring, so it is hot but not scalding the grounds.

  • Seasonal Eating: Cooking With What’s Fresh

    Supermarkets offer the same fruit and vegetables all year round, but produce tastes best when it is in season. Cooking with the seasons is an easy way to eat better, save money and discover new ingredients.

    Spring

    Spring brings tender greens, asparagus, peas, radishes and new potatoes. Dishes are light and fresh: think simple salads, risottos with peas and herbs, or asparagus roasted with olive oil and lemon.

    Summer

    Tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, aubergines, berries and stone fruit are at their peak. Summer cooking needs little effort. A ripe tomato with salt and good olive oil is already a meal.

    Autumn

    Squash, mushrooms, apples, pears and root vegetables arrive as the weather cools. Roasting brings out their sweetness, and soups and stews start to return to the table.

    Winter

    Cabbages, leeks, kale, citrus fruit and stored root vegetables carry us through winter. Slow braises, hearty soups and bright citrus salads balance the season's heavier dishes. Visiting a local market is the easiest way to see what is truly in season where you live.

  • The Art of Making Sourdough at Home

    Sourdough bread is made with just flour, water and salt, yet it has a depth of flavour that commercial bread rarely matches. The secret is the starter, a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens the dough naturally.

    Creating a starter

    Mix equal weights of flour and water in a jar and leave it at room temperature. Each day, discard about half and feed it with fresh flour and water. After about a week, it should rise reliably and smell pleasantly tangy. Whole grain flours tend to get things going faster.

    Time is an ingredient

    Sourdough takes longer than yeasted bread. A typical schedule involves mixing the dough in the morning, folding it several times during the day, shaping it in the evening and letting it rest in the fridge overnight. The slow fermentation develops flavour and makes the bread easier to digest for some people.

    Baking for a good crust

    A heavy lidded pot, preheated in a hot oven, traps steam around the loaf during the first part of baking. This lets the bread expand fully before the crust sets. Removing the lid for the final part of the bake gives a deep, crackly crust.

    Be patient with yourself

    Your first few loaves may be flat or dense. Every kitchen is different, and learning to read the dough takes practice. Keep notes, adjust one thing at a time, and the results will improve quickly.