Parmesan Garlic Flatbread

I am aching to return to my routine.  The past several weeks have been host to a plethora of emotions, compliments of a series of events.  Punctuated by anxiety, happiness, fear, nostalgia and overwhelming gratefulness, blogging was set aside and my attentions were turned elsewhere.  Focused on family and friends, I escaped to St. Simons Island and Destin, Florida for a week of celebrations, seafood and my favorite beach beverage, the Jennings Margarita.  Recipes and a detailing of my experiences savoring these beautiful locations are in the works, however that type of post takes me longer than a typical blog entry.  And I miss my routine!  Foodie-Girl is a huge part of what keeps me together these days and this extra-long break is beginning to have an adverse effect.  My time away from the kitchen was bringing me down.  Thankfully, a desperate search of our sparse pantry turned up the handful of ingredients required for an easy, heartwarming and simply delicious flatbread.  Served with a golden pool of olive oil, a black ribbon of balsamic running through it, I began to feel myself come back together.  Acting as a salve, my nerves settled, my fuzzy vision cleared.  The feel of the warm dough grasping my hands as I kneaded it into elasticity brought me back to earth.  And, well, I couldn’t wait to tell you all about it!  So this post is an interlude.  Destin, St. Simons and TURNING THIRTY are coming up next.  But first, I’m taking time to settle back into myself, tearing bread and dragging it through a glossy balm, submitting to this home cooked meal, as I am reignited.

Once again – my favorite pizza dough recipe.  I can’t get enough of this dough.  Find the step-by-step recipe here or feel free to use store bought dough.  Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven and preheat at 450 degrees for 30-45 minutes, allowing the pizza stone to become very hot.  Roll the dough out until it is one third of an inch thick.  Transfer the dough to the pizza stone and rub two tbs olive over the surface.  Top with one and one half tbs minced garlic, one and one half tsp dried oregano, one and one half tsp crushed red pepper flakes, one half tsp kosher salt, one quarter tsp freshly ground black pepper and one half cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Top with whole, fresh basil leaves and bake for ten minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the surface is crisp.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

• one ball fresh pizza dough – find the step-by-step recipe here or use store bought dough
• two tbs olive
• one and one half tbs minced garlic
• one and one half tsp dried oregano
• one and one half tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• one half tsp kosher salt
• one quarter tsp freshly ground black pepper
• one half cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• whole, fresh basil leaves