I found it….total perfection!

Ellender Estate in Glenyon (just near Daylesford Victoria) ……. What a delightful vineyard such beautiful wine, picturesque setting and a delightful couple too. Completing the picture, their very own wood fired oven and pizza making classes!

I just loved my experience at Ellender Estate.  A group of us all keen to learn more – the ‘true’ tips & secrets to that ultimate pizza. We were made to feel so very special, by our hosts Graham & Jenny Ellender. The event was featuring the essential appliance too … a KitchenAid standmixer. So I was elated to find out Graham has had he own mixers for more than 4 years and would not dream of using anything else!

Graham & Jenny’s story is marvellous and I encourage you to enjoy their website.

Pizza as Graham will teach you have a wonderful and yes getting that perfect crust is indeed an art! There are sadly a few who enjoy those heavy, oily thick (deep pan) styles with 101 toppings!  But a truely delicious authentic pizza must have the crispest thinnest crust and a couple of toppings that compliment each other.  The Ultimate for me is the classic and delicious Margherita. Named after Queen Margherita and created just for her in the late1800’s, using the colours of the Italian flag. (Tomatoes, Mozzarella & basil).

The golden rules for success:

• Use a good pizza flour / bread flour / strong flour or often labelled 00 flour. This has a higher amount of protein that gives you great dough. Initially you might start with standard plain flour – but I feel it takes extra effort in kneading, so take the plunge and use the best flour for the job
• Weigh the flour, salt and dried yeast accurately. Electronic scales can’t be beaten!
• Dried yeast: I always prefer to purchase the little sachets, as these remain super fresh. But you can buy a larger packet or sealed tub. Keep the tubs in a cool place – even the refrigerator.
• Tepid water: too hot and you will kill the yeast, too cool and it takes an awfully extended time to activate. So try for just warm. If you have a thermometer you want approx 37 C.
• Sugar & salt: a touch of sugar (or honey) feeds the yeast and the salt flavours the dough.
• Find a warm draft free place: Somewhere nice & warm. Very easy in winter if you have heating, or a warm day – near a window if great. Other choices… near the heating vent or my Italian friends always pop the covered bowl into the bed with the electric blanket on!
• Kneading: that’s easy; the KitchenAid dough hook does this effortlessly. Always choose speed 2. Slow kneading is required for the dough’s success & is best for the standmixer.
• Proving: normally this takes about 1 – 1 ½ hours depending on the  temperature.
• Roll out  dough, lay onto your choice of tray (round, rectangle or square), top with your choose of best quality topping and bake. Nice and hot – preferably in a wood fired oven.

Why wood fired? . The resulting pizza has an amazing coulour, texture and the most delicious flavour. The heat produced in the oven is incredible. Once you have tried pizza, well there is an never ending list of foods just made for cooking in a wood fired oven… roast pork, duck, breads, roasted veggies, whole baked snapper etc etc etc.

Graham can assist you in the desire to build your own oven. He has a fabulous presentation on the building of a true, beautiful classic, stone wall oven.  Trust me you WILL want to build one…..