Weekend Reads and pizza pockets

I'm getting the hang of baking in the wood Aga, after a couple of spectacular failures.  I have moved back to baking an ordinary bread over sourdough for a while, I'm frustrated I can't consistently make an excellent loaf, so I have moved back to what I can do well.  

I remember when I was a kid we occasionally had pizza pockets.  They were a kind of pre-made frozen bread roll stuffed with pizza topping.  I loved them.  So I'm in the process of working out how to make them from scratch for the boys.  My first try tasted great, but I sealed the roll underneath, so they were too thick in the middle and split upon baking.  Today I'll try again but make them in a pastie shape, like a calzone.  I jammed a stack of grated veggies into the tomato based sauce and topped it with grated cheese so it will make a healthy lunchbox snack.

Onion, garlic, grated carrot, celery & capsicum cooking down to make into a thick tomato-based sauce.  Mushrooms would work too but I had run out.

Here I brought the edges into the middle, but as the bread baked it rose and the middle ended up too thick and the sides split.  Next time I'll fold them over and turn the edge like a Cornish pastie. 

 They tasted delicious but were a little messy!  The whole aim is a kind of neat parcel to take on picnics and to pack in lunch boxes.  Once I have mastered it I'll share the recipe here for those interested.

Edited to add:  Take 2. The sauce could have been reduced a touch further and more cheese added but a far better result.  I wanted a neat parcel with lovely moist fillings which reminded me of the pizza pockets of my childhood.  The Cornish pastie style is a winner.  I guess that makes these pizza pasties but made with bread?  

I hope your all having a lovely weekend.
Much love,
Emma
xx


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