TWD-Pizza with Onion Confit

The Sponge Method

Step 1:  Make the Sponge
I don't think I've ever made a sponge.  So this seems like an extra step that I'm not sure why I need to do. 


But like the good girl I am(and this is where everyone who knows me keeps quiet), I'm going to make this sponge. 








Why don't I need to make a sponge for every yeast bread??  And why do I have to do it now?   I've made pizza dough before and not done a sponge step. 
I'm making it!  Right after I google why.  Okay, as per Wikipedia the sponge method (hey, isn't that a.....nevermind) So reasons to use this method: taste, texture and chemistry. (bored now)
Ya know what, I'm just going to make it.

Few ingredients needed.  It is just like making a dough, except that I don't add all the flour until after this sponge has time to rise and get bubbly.

Now just sit there and get bubbly.  I'll be back in a bit.  (an hour and a half to be exact)














Time goes by and during this hour and a half, I move on to Step 2.  Is it just me, or does anyone else have Step by Step (by Annie Lennox...yes, probably better known by the version that Whitney Houston did) in your head?  Just me?  Really?  Step by step...bit by bit....  How 'bout now? 

Okay, lets look at how much the dough has risen and how bubbly it is.  Ooooo, Ahhhhhh

First you get the rise

Then you get the bubble

Step 2:  Make the Confit (oh la la)
Chop a load of onions.  Cry a little.  Then cry a lot.  Step away from the onions.  Holy mother  of onions these are strong!

Get the onions and butter going in the pot and after they've softened a bit, add the red wine and vinegar.  Wow, I can smell that wine and vinegar throughout the house.  Strong stuff....or perhaps it is that mixture with those strong onions.  Whew.  Can I get a contact drunk?

Okay, I think the onions or should I say confit is complete. 












Before I leave Step 2: Make the Confit:  Did anyone else take longer than an hour for the liquid to mostly evaporate?  I turned my stove to as low as possible and it is low...perhaps too low.  I turned the heat up a bit to get that liquid evaporated.

Step 3: Second Rise
Added 2 cups of flour.....was a little worried as it seemed like too much for the sponge to absorb.  But it all seemed to go together.  I guess....
I'll just let it rise for a spell and see how it looks.

Well it looks like it should.  Made my little indents and it looks okay.  I guess.....

It seems a little stiffer than I think it ought to be, but I was able to roll it out.

So I dressed it up a little.  Onion confit, goat cheese, fresh thyme and a little provolone and mozzarella.  Looking good. 
To the oven!








Hey there good lookin'!

Yes, I would like a slice of that!

Final verdict:  I liked the onion confit.  It was good.  I thought the pizza dough was a little stiff, but that might be my fault (might have been a little too much flour added to the sponge).  Overall, it was a good flavour blend with the confit, goat cheese and thyme.  Would be a nice appetizer if made into mini pizzas.  Am totally loving the goat cheese on pizza.  (will definitely use that cheese again)

I saved the other half of the dough and made another pizza the day after.  The pizza crust was much better.  I think a night to relax in the fridge helped the dough.  This time I made a BBQ chicken pizza with the rest of the onion confit.  It was very good!