Wednesday Links

(above) Lemon, fig, and thyme donut from Hello Donuts at their weekly ReAnimator weekend pop-up. I’ve been following the development of their brick and mortar on Instagram and I. am. so. excited.

Speaking of pop-ups….”Pop-ups act as a hedge against the vast and relentless waves of uncertainty.” Why pop-ups are popping off.

Turns out the Starbucks mermaid’s face has been asymmetrical this whole time.

Froyo, rosé, pumpkin spice have all become so popular they are now annoying. Women aren’t ruining food.

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Exploring Philly // Lost Bread Co.

Lost Bread Co. has everything I love about Philly.

Lost Bread has

1) Incredible baked goods.
Smoked potato sunflower, cheddar paprika, beetroot rye… approachable but just experimental enough that you probably (or definitely) don’t have the ingredients to make it at home on a whim.

2) A storefront with super-casual backyard vibes.
They sectioned off the front of their huge garage/warehouse kitchen, added a few pieces of metal patio furniture and houseplants, and that’s about it. It does the job.

3) All sorts of connections to the rest of the city.
All the staff have worked for different bakeries or have friends/roommates in different bakeries. Everyone knows everyone.

It’s unapologetically casual and just full of people who love food.

Lost Bread Co. was founded a couple years ago by Alex Bois, the man who started the famous bread program at High Street on Market. Alex got into bread because of his love for brewing beer. After an incident that damaged his liver, he began investigating other fermentation projects and got into bread.

Although they are known for bread (duh, it’s in their name), their pastries are worth the trip alone. Their kouign amann is unlike any other I have tried: a crunchy caramelized outside and a soft and fluffy inside. They use buckwheat flour for extra nutty flavor. Instead of a muffin shape, the pastry is baked in a large circle and sliced like a pizza.

Of their breads, my favorite is the beetroot rye, which is a deep red and a strong, earthy beet flavor. My current favorite breakfast is a slice topped with smashed avocado and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Almost embarrassingly millennial… but it is too good for me to care.

Recipe // Grandma Style Pizza

My favorite pizza place in Philadelphia is Pizza Gutt, a strange “Instagram pizza restaurant.” Daniel releases the week’s menu on his Instagram Sunday so you can reserve a pizza for Wednesday-Saturday night at a cafe/bar. As a business model, it is genius – you know exactly how many ingredients to buy and you don’t have to pay rent.

Strange restaurant model aside, the pizza is incredible. Daniel makes the pizza Grandma-style, which means the crust is thick, fluffy and focaccia-like, and he sprinkles cheese around the outside so it gets a little burnt and crispy.

As a weekend project, I decided to try a Grandma style pizza.

This Bon Appetit recipe requires that you make the dough a day in advance so that it has time to bring out the flavors, making it the perfect weekend project.

I overbaked the pizza a bit and set off the fire alarm for a minute or so… but this is definitely a recipe that I am hoping to perfect and add to a monthly rotation. Making a great homemade pizza definitely sounds like a great skill to have.

Also, I may make the photo below my phone wallpaper:

Grandma Style Pizza with Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Rosemary

Pizza dough adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 3 (I cut the Bon Appetit recipe in half)

Pizza Dough
1 envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)
1 tbsp plus 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
2 tsp kosher salt
2 c all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for surface

Pizza
1 c mozzarella
1/2 c caramelized onions
1/2 c grape tomatoes, cut in quarters
lavender, for sprinkling
salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine yeast and 1½ cups warm water (105–110°) in a large bowl; let stand until yeast starts to foam, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix in 1 tbsp oil, salt and 1 cup flour. Add another 1 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until incorporated and a shaggy dough forms.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft, smooth, and elastic, 10–12 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill 24 hours.
4. Coat an 8×12” rimmed baking sheet with remaining 1/4 cup oil. Gently and gradually stretch dough until it reaches the edges of baking sheet.
5. Cover dough on baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until it is puffed and full of air bubbles, 30–40 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 525 F, or as high as it will go.
7. Sprinkle on cheese, then toppings of your choice (you can see my toppings in the ingredients list above).
8. Bake until the crust is golden brown, around 20 minutes. (don’t over-bake like I did!)