Date nights at home aren’t always about everything being perfect. Sometimes, they’re about making the most of what you’ve got and rolling with the punches—or in our case, rolling with the “dunkelmehl.” Last Friday, we planned to make our usual pizza, but things didn’t quite go as expected. We discovered, at the very moment we needed to make the dough on Thursday night, that the only flour we had was “dunkelmehl,” a darker type of flour. On top of that, we only had half the ingredients we needed. So, our pizza night took a different twist, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time.
Making the Dough (Thursday Night)
Following Johnny’s recipe on YouTube, we got started the night before, mixing our ingredients to create the dough. Here’s how we did it:
Ingredients for Dough:
- 500g flour
- 300ml water
- 15g salt
- 1g yeast
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, start by adding the water. To this, add about 10% of your flour—just enough to make the water look a bit milky. This small amount of flour helps prevent the yeast from coming into direct contact with the salt, which could slow its activation.
- Next, add the salt and mix it in.
- Once the salt is dissolved, add the yeast and stir until it dissolves completely.
- Now, start adding the remaining flour bit by bit, mixing as you go to make sure it all blends evenly.
- Once it starts forming a thicker dough, take it out of the bowl and place it on a clean counter. Begin kneading, folding the dough into itself and pressing down. Continue adding a sprinkle of flour to the counter if needed, to prevent sticking.
- Keep kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. The goal is to reach a consistency where the dough isn’t sticky. When you press your finger into it, the dough should bounce back a little.
- Once the dough reaches this point, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rise for two hours.
After the two hours are up, we divided the dough into sections to make our pizza balls. Each ball went into a container to rest in the fridge for 24 hours, developing even more flavor and texture. By Friday, they were ready to be turned into pizzas!
Giuseppe’s Basil Neapolitan Sauce
For our pizza sauce, we used Giuseppe’s famous basil Neapolitan sauce, which adds so much flavor to every bite. I did however add a little twist of my own 😁.
Ingredients for Giuseppe’s Basil Neapolitan Sauce:
- Olive oil (enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pot)
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (My addition – don’t tell Giuseppe!)
- 500ml Italian pureed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped garlic (and onions, if you’re following Melissa’s twist), and sauté until golden and fragrant.
- Once the garlic and onions are golden, add the pureed Italian tomatoes.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then add salt, sugar, and basil.
- Let the sauce simmer gently for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.
We usually get this sauce going before putting the kids to bed so it’s ready when we start on the pizzas. The aroma fills the kitchen, making it feel like an Italian pizzeria.
Assembling the Pizzas on Date Night
With the sauce ready and dough balls prepped, it was time to get cooking. We preheated the oven, then took one dough ball at a time, stretched it out into a pizza shape, and placed it on baking paper. Starting with a scoop of Giuseppe’s basil sauce in the center of each pizza, we spread it outwards, leaving a little border for the crust. Then came the toppings, and we got creative! Here’s what we used:
- Mozzarella, basil and salami
- Basil, feta, and prosciutto
- Onions, peppers, and fresh tomatoes, basil and salami, some chilli oil and chedder cheese
- Salami, prosciutto and chedder cheese
Of course, you can customize with whatever toppings you like!
Setting the Mood for an Italian Night
To set the scene, we asked our Amazon Dot to play The Perfect Italian Dinner playlist on Spotify, filling the room with warm Italian tunes. It added a little romance and a lot of fun, making our kitchen feel like a cozy Italian bistro.
Our Pizza Routine: One at a Time
Our date night tradition is to bake one pizza at a time. As soon as one pizza comes out of the oven, we slice it up, grab a glass of wine, and enjoy it while the next one bakes. This way, each pizza is hot and fresh, and we get to try different flavors throughout the night. It’s a fun way to relax, chat, and share in the excitement of trying each new combination. Just remember: don’t get so caught up in the moment that you forget the pizza in the oven!
Cheering on Our Friends from Afar
Another highlight of our night was cheering on our friends from South Africa. They were having their first arm wrestling competition, and since it happened to be on our date night, we streamed it in the background so we could watch them. When they came on, we paused everything, watched, and cheered them on—even if they couldn’t hear us. Landu, Zandri, and Caleb, you all did fantastic! We’re proud of you for starting your own arm wrestling club and diving into something you love. Check it out for yourselves at https://www.youtube.com/@KrakenArmWrestling 💪🏽
When “Perfect” Isn’t the Goal
Our pizza night was a reminder that date nights at home don’t have to be perfect. We could have changed our plans when we realized we didn’t have all the right ingredients, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, we powered through, embraced the quirks, and made something wonderful out of it. The real magic was in laughing at our little mistakes and enjoying the time together. It’s these moments, with a bit of improvisation and a lot of love, that make date night unforgettable.
Ending the Night with a Sweet Treat
After we finished all the pizzas, we settled down with some bowls of Gelatelli’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. It was the perfect sweet ending to our evening. There’s something so satisfying about winding down with a creamy dessert after a night of laughter, creativity, and pizza. We each took our first spoonful, and immediately, there was a silent agreement—this ice cream was just what we needed to complete the night.
Sitting there, savoring each bite, we felt relaxed and grateful. Sure, the night had its little hiccups, but it was full of fun, flavor, and a few surprises. That’s the magic of date night at home: it doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. And with a dessert like this, you really can’t go wrong.
