Hi Reader,

February is the perfect month to stay warm and cozy in the kitchen. Here I'm sharing what meals and ingredients that have been bringing warmth and inspiration to my kitchen lately. Plus I'm sharing my go-to sourdough pizza dough recipe.

Happy cooking!

Sammy

What I'm cooking this week

Coconut Black Rice Pudding A tropical twist on traditional rice pudding, this version is packed with coconut flavor (featuring 3 types of coconut!), antioxidant-rich black rice, and a hint of sweetness. Serve with your favorite tropical fruit. Recipe

Citrus Ginger Tea Citrus ginger tea is a delightful blend of spicy ginger, zesty citrus juice, and honey that will warm you from the inside out. This tea will awaken your senses, strengthen your immune and digestive systems and give you a natural energy boost. Recipe

30 Minute Andouille Kale Soup Andouille kale soup is a low-effort high-reward recipe. Only 5 ingredients, cooks in 1 pot, and is ready in 30 minutes. Recipe

And from around the internet

​Japanese Curry Udon from Just One Cookbook

​Lemon Blueberry Muffins from Alexandra's Kitchen

​Preserved Lemons from Rainbow Plant Life

​Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup) from the Kitchn

​Sopa Tarasca (Pinto Bean Soup) from Pinch of Yum

Sourdough Pizza Dough

Yield: 3 pizza crusts

Ingredients

280 g water

75 g active sourdough starter

7.5 g salt

375 g all purpose or bread flour

Directions

Mix the dough: Place the starter, salt, and water in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the flour and mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Transfer to a straight-sided vessel (or a clean large bowl), cover, and let sit for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold: Reach into the bowl and stretch the dough up and then fold over itself. Turn the bowl in quarter turns and continue stretching and folding the dough 4-6 times. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes, then repeat the stretching and folding. Repeat this cycle twice more for a total of 4 stretch and folds. At first the dough will be rough and shaggy, but with each cycle of stretching and folding the dough will become smoother and more elastic.

Bulk fermentation: Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature to rise for 4 to 18 hours until it has roughly doubled in size (the time it takes will depend on the time of year, temperature in your kitchen, strength of your starter).

Portion and shape: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a rough ball. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and sprinkle each with flour. Shape each portion into a smooth ball by pulling the edges of the dough to the center and pinching them together. Transfer each round of dough into a plastic quart container, with the pinched side facing down, cover, and store in the fridge for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.

Make the pizzas: Pull the dough out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before shaping. Preheat the oven with a baking stone set inside to 500°F. Gently shape the dough into a roughly 10-inch round. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of a pizza peel and transfer the dough round to the parchment. Top with your desired topping. Shimmy the parchment and pizza onto the baking stone in the oven. Bake until the pizza is blistered on top, about 8-12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cut and serve. Repeat with remaining dough.