Not so fast, food

I need a satisfying meal to take on the go. Our daughter’s athletic events take us on the road a couple nights per week.  I watched enough of “Food Inc.” to know that I really want to avoid the fast food places. Plus, it gets expensive.  Even when we have done this I think my tongue actually went numb. In general, the quick food out there is not particularly tasty.  I’m sure my college age son would tell me he could eat out with $1.08 at some fantastic Mexi-American establishment and live to see the next day.
  

Tipoff is at 6:00 and the game is an hour from home.  Dinner needs to transport well.  In reality we will either picnic a la Subaru or enjoy our sack supper in the bleachers. Plus, my daughter will need a bit of nourishment after the game.  I swear we eat at the table at least twice per week, really.  Something healthy, simple, and on-the-go is what is needed here.   Am I alone in this predicament?  I think not. 

Alton Brown, my favorite cooking scientist, has a recipe for pocket pies.  Think homemade toaster pastry or Pop Tart.  While these are amazing and have their place, I want something healthier. The premise is good. A sturdy crust, a filling that stays neatly inside and you can hold it in your hand.

Did I mention that one of the members of our extended family seems to have an allergy to gluten? I have tried a gluten free diet in the past and while I don’t believe I have an allergy, it certainly enriched my baking repertoire.  An interesting tidbit, many people who have sensitivities (NOT CELIAC) to gluten can tolerate spelt quite well. No, this is not the newest fad accessory that you wear at your waist with your knee length sweater.  Spelt is an ancient grain that was around way before wheat and has not been hybridized or genetically messed around.  I find it sweeter and softer to work with.

Are you still with me? Back to the recipe… I am going to go with a crust that is more pizza crust (lower fat) than pastry (yummy, but fat).  Spelt will be my grain of choice for this adventure.  

I like to do things from the beginning steps, from scratch.

Spelt berries

Pouring spelt into my grain mill

Tah Dah, spelt flour. I’m magic, huh?  Not really.

Katie’s Savory Hand Pie

Dough:

1 packet of yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons) I use active dry yeast

1 ½ cups very warm water (hot enough, but it shouldn’t burn your finger if you dip it in there)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 ½ cups of spelt flour or whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon each of dried thyme, oregano, and basil

1 Tablespoon honey

Cornmeal for dusting baking sheets or Parchment paper

Fillings:

1 cup of pizza/pasta sauce or ranch dressing, whichever you prefer.

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 - 16 oz package of all natural lunch meat, pepperoni, left over shredded chicken, etc.

Instructions:

1.       Measure your yeast into a small bowl and add the warm water right in there with it.  This will ensure that your yeast is alive and well. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

2.       The yeast should become foamy.  If it does not foam your yeast is dead and gone and you should replenish it with new yeast.  Sorry.

3.       Pour your lovely, foamy mixture into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer along with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 3 cups of the flour. You will gradually add more flour as you need it.

4.       Add the ½ teaspoon salt to your mixing bowl.  Yeast does not tolerate direct contact with salt very well.  I like to add the salt on top of the flour. Add the dried spices to the mixing bowl. Now, take a minute to enjoy this. Stick your nose down near the rim of your bowl and take a deep breath. Mmmmm, the spices smell good. Can you identify the smell of each one? Can you smell the yeast doing its thing?

5.       Stir the mixture vigorously with your favorite stirring utensil or use the paddle attachment for your stand mixer.

6.       When all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the wet, take a look.  Is your mixture still pretty wet and sticky? Touch it if you are not sure. If it sticks to your fingers it is too wet.

7.      Ooo, I forgot 1 tablespoon honey, in it goes. Not a big deal.  Mix well to combine and add more flour if you need to.

 8.     As necessary, add more flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until your dough comes together in a soft ball and cleans the sides of the bowl as you stir. The dough should be tacky, but not stick to your fingers.

 9.     When it looks and feels right, pull the dough out of your mixing bowl and put it in a lightly greased, medium sized bowl. Swirl the ball of dough around in the bowl to coat it with a little oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or a piece of plastic wrap.  Let it sit in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough is about twice as big as it was.

It is winter here and cold, so sometimes I put my rising dough right by the wood stove.  I have never been really picky about the rising of pizza crust dough. I know this step builds great flavor and texture in the dough.  But sometimes a girl wants fresh pizza dough but doesn’t want to wait for 2 hours or more.  The nice thing about pizza crust is that you are not depending upon dough that raises high like a loaf of bread. Please don’t hold this against me. This is still going to taste way better than just about anything pre-made.

10.   When your dough is ready, grab it with one hand, in the bowl, and gently push down, roll it over, push down, again, maybe five times. You are de-gassing your dough by breaking up those big air bubbles that the lovely yeast created. Let your dough sit for a minute and relax while you get out a rolling pin and mat to roll out your dough.

11.   Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with either a sprinkling of cornmeal or a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

12.   Dust a little flour on your mat or counter top and place the dough on the surface.  Add a little flour to the top of the dough.  Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 20” x 15”.

13.   Cut the rectangle into 12 – 5” x 5” squares.

14.   Add your toppings on to one half of each square: sauce, meat, cheese, maybe even sneak in a couple spinach leaves.

15.   Gently, pick up one edge of the dough and stretch it up and over the toppings to the opposite edge.  The un-sauced edges are easier to seal.  If the toppings are trying to sneak out, just poke them back in there. Place each folded hand pie on to prepared baking sheet.

My dough is a little sticky, so I added flour to my finger tips to help with the situation. They do not need to look perfect.  They do not need to look perfect.  (I realize I said this twice, I’m reminding myself)

16.   Brush each pie with just a bit of olive oil or spritz with a little olive oil non-stick spray.

17.   Put the pans in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. The hand pies should be lightly browned and fully baked on the bottom. Peel one up and thump the bottom of one if you are unsure. It should feel like a well baked pizza crust.

18.   Let the hand pies cool for at least 15 minutes before trying to eat them. The filling is VERY hot and will scorch the roof of your mouth.   

19.   You can now store your delectable treat in the fridge for later use or wrap it up in foil or a paper towel for a meal on the go.

20.   ENJOY!