Pizza Day!

It's a big day today! No, not the Super Bowl, who cares about that? It's National Pizza Day! (And apparently World Pizza Day too.) I tried to make a big deal last year, but everyone pooped on my pizza parade. This year I insisted though, and Dylan was on board because pizza is his favorite food, which got the ball rolling. So I made Shortcut Sicilian-Style Italian Pizza:

And because Dylan was enthusiastic about Pizza Day, and he sent me a text a few days ago saying he was in the mood for key lime pie and asking whether the farmer's market stall with the key lime pie was still there, I made some Not Really Key Lime Pie for dessert, too:

 

After this feast, I hopefully have everyone convinced that National Pizza Day should be something we celebrate every year.

 

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In addition to the pizza, this was a sourdough bread making weekend for Mom, so I used the sourdough starter discard to make overnight waffles. This is the second time I've made them, and they are some really good waffles. There are lots of ideas on the internet for how to use your sourdough starter discard instead of pouring it down the drain. This one is easy and highly recommended.

 

Sourdough Waffles (or Pancakes)

Adapted from Sam Sifton via NYT Cooking (Mar. 22, 2016)

For the overnight sponge
240 grams (~1 cup) sourdough starter (unfed discard)
225 grams (~1 cup) buttermilk or plain kefir
120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (~13 grams) light brown sugar

For the batter
1 large egg (~57 grams still in the shell)
57 grams (¼ cup) melted unsalted butter or neutral oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

    1. For the overnight starter: In a large bowl, mix together the sourdough starter, buttermilk or kefir, flour, and sugar. Cover the bowl and let sit out on the counter overnight at room temperature. The mixture should expand and bubble up by the time you're ready to cook in the morning (see top photo above).
    2. For the batter: In the morning, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, butter or oil, and vanilla. Scrape the sticky sourdough sponge into the medium bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and baking soda and mix with a silicone spatula; some elbow grease may be required to mix completely.
    3a. Cook the waffles in a greased and preheated waffle iron until brown and crisp, according to the manufacturer's instructions. For our Cuisinart, I use ~⅔ to ¾ cup of batter for each waffle, scooped onto the center of the lower grid. Serve each waffle immediately with real maple syrup and fresh fruit or fruit compote or microwave blueberry sauce, if you like. Waffles are definitely best when made to order (they get soggy fast), but cooked waffles may be kept warm in a pinch for up to 5 minutes on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet in a 200°F oven. Makes about six 7-inch traditional-style waffles.
    3b. Alternatively, you can scoop ¼-cupfuls of the batter onto a greased and preheated pan or griddle to make pancakes. You may have to thin the batter a little bit with some milk or additional buttermilk to get the right consistency.