Weddingbee Blog

Mr. Bruschetta and I are continuing to chip away at tasks on our to-do list, but we recently took a break from the planning — and the stressing — to celebrate the hundred-day mark from our wedding.

We decided to throw a small party, and invited a few guests: homemade pizza dough, eggplant, fontina, tomatoes and gin & tonics. My mister — who normally shuns recipes and definitely doesn’t consider himself a baker — has nonetheless mastered the most delicious pizza dough; he used the recipe below.

We opted for a bruschetta-like pizza, and followed this recipe to prepare the toppings. My mister had gotten a head start on the prep by the time I got home from work, and had all the ingredients on hand — as well as a tasty appetizer course. (Our faves were the cheeses — manchego and Asiago — and the edamame.)

We chopped, mixed and had a great time preparing two delicious pizzas. And, although we did try to avoid discussing wedding-related topics as our dinner baked, after we sliced the pizzas — but before digging in — we toasted 100 days until we’ll be married.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup red or white wine
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups flour

Preparation

Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

For individual pizzas or calzones, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and knead into rounds. For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

Did you (or will you) do anything special 100 days before your big day?