Franco Manca - Reading, Berkshire {restaurant review}

One of my favorite things about blogging is getting invited to restaurants for openings and reviews! I have been to many over the years some that are just okay and others that are amazing and I have to say that my experience at Franco Manca last week was the latter.

Franco Manca not only has great pizza's, but they have great pizza's at great prices and has a lively atmosphere which is a necessary bonus! We were throughly spoiled with appetisers of various mozzarella balls and meats and before the pizzas came out we were treated to a type of masterclass where we were shown first hand how the pizzas were made!

They make everything on site and use the freshest ingredients. There are only 6 pizzas on the menu and the number 3 changes every so often. They told us that they were planning on adding a 7th pizza soon. So, definitely worth checking out along with their daily specials.

Although the pizza was amazing and the mozzarella and dried/cured meats were delicious I couldn't get enough of the wild garlic pesto; made from wild garlic that the head chefs went and found themselves in Italy it was the best thing of the night! There is a pizza with it dolloped on top and I would suggest if you like pesto to try it!

They didn't leave anything out, we not only talked about wild garlic pesto, but they told us all about how sourdough has natural occurring yeast and therefore is better for your insides. We found out all about how the dough is kneaded and left to rise in wood boxes to help with the moisture before being stretched out and made into pizza! Also how they are cooked in a high temperature oven are baked in something like 58 seconds. 

We also discussed wine and the variety of mozzarella cheese balls! As I said it was a great night filled with great food and great company! If you are visiting the Oracle and in need of food and have a love of pizza at a decent price I would highly recommend Franco Manca!

*I was invited out to visit their press opening event. I was not asked to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. Please see more in my contact/policy page above.

Check out a slideshow of my photos here:

The Lazy Loaf {Pesto & Sundried Tomato}

Today I didn't feel like doing anything.

So, I did something. I made bread.

When making bread it’s kind of like doing nothing. You mix stuff together and let it rise. You can't go too far because you have to be around to knock it back before shaping it and letting it have a second rise. Then it's just a matter of baking it.

There is just time in between those stages. In that time you can get a lot of nothing done. 

Like reading a book. I finished reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult while making this bread.

Which is fitting because there is a lot of bread making in the book. Definitely worth a read for bakers, historians, and mystery type readers.

The thing about bread is that it’s not really hard to make. Putting the few ingredients together isn't complicated at all.

However there are so many ways it could go wrong. If the water temperature is too hot or two cold it will not rise properly. If you over or under knead it affects the tightness of the dough.

I don’t bake bread often enough to have it down where I know when to stop kneading or what the exact temperature feels like. I think that comes with experience and with experience comes you gain the knowledge one needs to create the perfect loaf of bread.

Don’t get me wrong I get by, for instance this loaf has turned out great! It has a crust, with a soft (small) holey middle. With the added pesto and sundried tomatoes it’s a real winner!

It’s so good I just ate a slice all on it’s own. No butter or anything! That’s when you know it’s good bread.

Try it out for yourself!

Pesto & Sundried Tomato Loaf

500g Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Very Strong Canadian White Bread Flour             

7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp basil pesto

300ml tepid water

5 sundried tomatoes, chopped

a little oil from sundried tomatoes

pinch of sea salt

In a large bowl mix the flour, yeast, and salt before adding the pesto. Very gradually add the water, while gently bringing the dough together with your hand. If the dough is soft and brought together before all the water is used, just leave the extra water. If it’s not needed don’t use it. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or for about 7 in a mixer on low speed. It shouldn’t look bumpy, instead it should look smooth and bouncy. Bring the dough together in a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it’s doubled in size.

Grease a 2lb loaf tin with oil before knocking the risen dough back (knead the air out), gently flatten the dough out and scatter the chopped tomatoes over the top. Shape it into a sausage like loaf and place in the loaf tin. Leave again for about an hour or more in a warm place until it doubles in size.

When it’s doubled heat the oven to 220C and brush a bit of the dried tomato oil on top and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of the loaf. Bake for 30-35 minutes until when you “knock” on the bottom of the loaf it sounds hollow.

 notes: In association with Sainsbury’s; they have a wide range of self-branded flours and for this recipe I used the Taste the Difference Very Strong Canadian White Bread Flour as mentioned above. They also have a nice range of bread mixes, which I tried and some how burnt? It's because I was trying to be clever. Check my instagram! Recipe is adapted from Bakes & Cakes magazine Summer 2014 edition.