This is Dedicated to the Bumble Pizza Guy
We all have hopes and dreams about our future. Dream jobs we'd like to have, things we love to do we wouldn't mind becoming our profession. BreadLust is a dream of mine, not so sure it's the dream. I love baking and writing silly things about baking. While I'm not sure where it will end up, this week's post isn't about my dream. I want to tell you about someone else's dream. This is a story told solely from my memory and things I've observed as a near stranger.
There was a period of time, okay, several times but this is not about those other times, where I was on the popular dating app Bumble. The beginning of this story takes place about two-ish years ago. While Bumble-ing I connected with a guy, he lived in Maryland, had a nice smile, adventurous photos and liked food. Or was it he worked in food? Doesn't matter, I digress. We chatted a little and seemed be hit it off.Then he said he was going on a weeks long trip somewhere tropical. At least I think it was tropical? Let's say South America, that feels right. We didn't connect after he returned and I shortly got off the app, and life moved on.
The thing I do remember is that he was thinking of starting a pizza business and he was, or just had, built an outdoor pizza oven. Either way, this guy had a thing for pizza and wanted to make it into a business.
Flash forward to this spring. The neighborhood where I work has a weekly farmers market. I hardly ever take advantage of it. Usually the end of the work day finds me rushing home, only remembering it's farmer's market day when I drive past. The market features local farmers, the pickle-anything guys, a bakery and a wood-fired pizza stand. I know you know where I'm going with this, but bare with. That first market week I walked through the stalls, set up on either side of the wide sidewalks. Scoping it out the various stands with a coworker, we stopped in front the of the pizza stand. As my coworker made comments to me about the menu, I stood staring at the guy manning the stall, a little dumbstruck. The guy looked familiar and I couldn't figure out why. Walking away, it clicked. He was from Bumble. And he had started his pizza business.
I walked back to the office thinking how strange and great that was. To see the fruition of someone's hard work and dream become a reality. From where I stood it looks like he's doing well and loving pizza life. I know he won't see this vignette about how our lives briefly intersected, but I'm happy for him.
In honor of the Pizza Bumble man, I'm reposting my sourdough pizza recipe. And for those who can't be bothered, here is my go-to non-sourdough pizza crust recipe. I get it it, I can't be bothered sometimes too.
For Dough
50 g Starter
400 g Bread flour/AP/Tipo 00
6-10 g Salt
280 g water
Sauce - tomato, pesto, butter, whatever!
Toppings- fresh mozzarella, dried herbs, fresh basil leaves, crushed red pepper, grated parm, crumbly sausage, whatever you have in you fridge, feta, olives, chopped rosemary
Directions
- Mix all dough ingredients, then let rest for 30 min
- Slap and fold till dough is less sticky
- Ferment bulk overnight 12-20 hours
- On flour dusted surface scrape dough out of bowl
- Cover and bench rest for 20 min
- Cut to divide into six pieces, shape into balls
- Proof for 2-4 hours
- Dough is finished proofing when the dough bounces back when pressed, place on floured surface and stretch into a flat circle. Turning often to evenly stretch all sides
- Place into a HOT pan, gently push the dough to the outer edges of the pan
- Spoon sauce over dough and top with desired toppings
- Cook on the stove top for 4-5 min until bottom of rust is turning golden
- Broil for 2-4 min until top of crust is golden/brown and toppings are bubbling
I'm still in Rome this week, but I hope you enjoyed this account of me and the pizza guy. I'm probably eating pizza right now, in Italy and thinking about.. who knows. Getting more pizza? It's sold by the pound.
❤️ & 🍕,
Amy
