I have been doing a lot of whining for the past week or so.
Why does school have to start before Labor Day?
Couldn't we just have one more week of summer?
And why do they have to start school on a Monday? A five-day week that first week back is exhausting.
If we had a three-day week this week, we could build up more gently until everyone is back in the groove of going to bed early, getting up early, making lunches, doing homework...
I'm this way every August as I bemoan the eagerness with which I waited for the more carefree days of summer only to have them fly by at warp speed.
I have talked to friends who have a much better attitude. They're looking forward to the rhythm and routine of fall again, getting onto a more regular schedule with the kids. It sounds good. And yet I'm having a hard time getting it into my head that lunches need to be made every night, homework needs to be done, backpacks need to be packed every day.
The children feel it, too. By the end of the week, we were tired out, exhausted with all that staying on schedule, not to mention all that behaving during the school day.
Fortunately, we still have our Friday night movie and pizza nights. We still cling to these nights, and this past week it was especially welcome, a chance to chill out on the couch after a mentally and physically exhausting week. It was a chance to come together, relax, and remember that, even with all of the changes that the week brought, some things do not change.
Hmmm, maybe there's something to that routine and rhythm thing after all.
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
If you're looking for a super dense, earthy whole wheat dough, this isn't it. The bread flour and whole wheat pastry flour make this dough light and barely identifiable as whole wheat dough, but a bit more healthy and filling nonetheless. It's a bit chewier than our standard semolina pizza dough, more of a classic American crust. It works as well for pizzas cooked on the grill as those baked in the oven.
Makes enough for 3 medium pizzas
20 minutes preparation time, plus about 2 hours for the dough to rise
approximately 10 minutes per pizza baking time
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups unbleached bread flour
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons salt
Measure the yeast into a bowl and add the warm water. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, then stir the yeast to make sure that it has all dissolved into the water. Add the olive oil and stir.
Measure the flour into the bowl and sprinkle the salt over the top. With a wooden spoon, mix the flour until it is very stiff. Abandon the spoon and use your hands to work the flour and water into a cohesive dough. Turn the dough onto the counter and knead it for a few minutes until it is smooth and consistent in texture. If you weren't able to get all the flour into the dough before, you can work it in as you knead.
Form the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it is about double in size, approximately 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or as hot as it will go (but not broil). If you are using a pizza stone, slide it into the oven and let it heat for about 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into thirds and roll each third out. Add the toppings of your choice and bake for 8-10 minutes per pizza. Get it while it's hot!
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