On my quest to eat more whole/real foods I have been reading ingredient lists and looking for whole grains. So I bought white wheat flour to replace my all-purpose flour. Whole grains are better for you even though I usually buy unbleached flour. I don’t know if the whole/real food folks were bakers before they went healthy but there is something to be said for all-purpose.

Pizza night. My husband and I decided we would make pizza. He wanted to make a clam pizza that he remembers from a pizzeria in New Haven. I have a thriving basil plant so I think Margherita. I make the dough using white wheat flour. Half goes into my husband’s hands and half into mine. We hand stretch the dough. I want mine thinner so I get out the rolling pin and make a good circle and then pre-bake that for about ten minutes in a very hot oven (450), pricking it all over with a fork first. Hubby follows suit but his is more artisan in shape. Meanwhile we prepare our toppings. He uses canned clams, butter, garlic, oregano, and Romano cheese. I use garlic, fresh basil, tomato slices, and mozzarella cheese, diced and sliced.

Mine’s pretty; his is artistic. We bake them and are very excited about our pizzas. The first bite tells my husband that the crust is not at all what he wanted it to be. Whole wheat crust is thick and not flaky. One would have to adjust to the taste. It is rather like a thick cracker. My husband announces that he will make his own crust next time. I’m thinking whole wheat pastry flour might be the answer. We will eat the leftovers cut up in small bites like appetizers. It wasn’t that the pies didn’t turn out. It was just that they were not enjoyable.

Moral of the story: I am a baker and I will on occasion use more processed flours in order to enjoy the goods I make. I bake sweets much less than before so when I do decide to make a cake or whatever, it should be decadent!