Last Sunday found me sitting on these damp stairs at Jessica’s place in St. Gabriel making pizzas in what looks like the blink of an eye in the Roccbox pizza oven. I get a lot of questions about that fancy little pizza oven and yes – it’s fantastic. It makes restaurant- quality pizza in your very own backyard in minutes. What most people (myself included) always forget to account for is the two days of stressing over the quality and rise of the pizza dough. The pizza dough needs to be a certain hydration to cook in the 800 insane degrees of this oven which means Trader Joe’s premade pizza dough won’t cut it. And I’m no one if not the person who will invite everyone over for pizza and then have an internal mini-pani (that’s a small panic attack) about my dough and rise and timing and WHY EXACTLY AM I DOING THIS!? There’s nothing like stressing things that are well within our control. Is it better than stressing all the things out of our control? Lol, maybe?
As it always does – the pizza turned out fine, if not great. It was fun to make once I realized the dough was a success though I absolutely had Papa John’s on speed dial should anything have gone sideways. I think the lesson here is, there’s no such thing as bad pizza and we can relax into that teeny tiny consolation and order in tonight.
• Mitt Romney takes to The Atlantic with a think piece worth reading America Is in Denial.
• I was reminded of this obit from Klancy Miller this week and still find it sustaining: Overlooked No More: Georgia Gilmore, Who Fed and Funded the Montgomery Bus Boycott (The New York Times)
• The static of everything internal and external in Roxanne Gay’s latest Substack offering Feedback Loops came right on time.
• On my desk (jk it’s my dining room table) is a copy of Jarrett Sleeper’s new book of poetry The 100 Poems. I’ve been reading the poems aloud to myself everyday. Each poem takes a few passes of reading aloud because there isn’t an ounce of punctuation in the whole book but after a few reads, the rhythm and intention reveals itself and it feels like a cool little madness. You may know Jarrett Sleeper because of his wife, the brilliant Allie Ward of Ologies Podcast. Both of these humans are a delight. (Instagram, Blurb)
• Are you a Chaos Muppet or an Order Muppet? The fact that I take Loose Coffee into the car (that’s hot coffee in a ceramic mug in my very car cup holder) makes me a Chaos Muppet and there’s just no way (I’m willing) to change that. (Slate)
• Now (and I cannot stress this is enough) is the time to fully immerse yourself in tomatoes. Related: Summer Tomato Cobbler with Blue Cheese Biscuits. (Joy the Baker)
• What are you reading this summer? Did you see Toby’s list of The Best Books For Summer 2022? It’s my favorite list of the year and, since I’m mostly a beach-read person, I’ll be reading each one. (Joy the Baker)
• The beauty of these Iridescent Martini Glasses suddenly seems hard to live without. (Estelle Colored Glass)
• This dress is on heavy rotation in my summer wardrobe because it barely touches my body at all, and that is the level of summer we have entered. (Sezane)
• If you’re in Houston, meet me at my favorite grocery store (Central Market my gawd!) for a Sweet and Savory Summer Baking Class. I’ll be baking and oversharing, as per. And in related / unrelated news – you’ll have to forgive me but I’m on TikTok now because I continue to be a person of the Internet. Kim told me to just get into it and she’s always more right than wrong. (Eventbrite, TikTok)
• I’m buying a few copies of The Reset Workbook by Justin Shiels because I think they’ll make great impromptu gifts. Here’s a tour of the workbook, too! (Amazon, Instagram)
• It may just be that I’ve had too much coffee but I think….. I thiiiiiiink next month I’m going to start training to run a marathon with the Nike Run Club Marathon Training Program. Their half marathon training program actually made me a runner so let’s go ahead and see how far this train goes. Don’t quote me on any of this. This could just be the coffee talking.
Have a wonderful Sunday (+ pizza).
My love to you.
xo Joy
28 Responses
Your writing brings me so much joy <3
I am intrigued by your mini pizza oven which you are using on the steps there. It kind of reminds me of a small toaster oven. However, if it bakes the pizza the way you like it outside that certainly is a big deal since it keeps the heat out. I usually enjoy making pizzas on Fridays and look forward to them. Everyone gets to pick a topping for their pizza, and I make the dough in the morning and let it rise beforehand.
Listen, I’m often wrong, but never about TikTok – ha!
I do the same thing with my coffee!! To date, I’ve never spilled a drop!
Same, Kelli. Knock on wood but, same.
Go for the marathon!! I followed a training plan (pretty well, ha :) and finished my first marathon this past December. Both the actual race and that I was able to train myself to get there to do it were some of the most satisfying accomplishments I’ve ever felt. I also caught up on a LOT of podcasts on my runs. I’m doing it all again this fall!
No pressure, but I think you could love it, too. Have fun!
Congratulations, Hannah that’s awesome! I’m with you – the training is going to be an accomplishment in itself. Thanks so much for the encouragement. I really think I’m going to go for it1
Pizza & Sex: even when it’s bad, it’ still pretty good.
Haha. Ok but I feel like bad sex is definitely bad.
Oh no, anything but Papa John’s…
Oooh love that dress/need that dress
This is very much a Toby dress, very much.
You are always a highlight of my Sunday morning coffee time. Thank you for your thoughtful posts. I always appreciate them and your complimentary words. Take good care!
I’m so glad you’re here Rebecca! It’s nice to share Sundays!
I love your posts; my go-to every Sunday. I’m going to try your cake mixes and that Coconut Cake looks exciting.
I already have all of your cookbooks.
Thank you for all the kindness, Linda!
Loling at the muppet theory. I’m definitely an order muppet married to a chaos muppet.
Go for the marathon! Currently gearing up for my second half attempt this fall. Btw, was it you singing the praises of the nike one leggings? I love those too, and realized they have a shorts version. They’ve quickly become my favorite running shorts…No thigh chaffing! No wedgies! https://www.rei.com/product/199119/nike-one-bike-shorts-womens
SHORTS!? How did I not know this? Thank you Colleen – on it immediately. And cheers to your second half! Rooting for you from here!
I am internally a chaos monkey and externally a control monkey. Cuz, yay, anxiety? ? I’d love to see you come to Michigan. Have you heard of Horrocks? Super fun place to shop. Heck, I’d even let you stay in my guest room and let the cats sleep with you!
I’m wondering if this is an essential part of the theory. Cause I am definitely a chaos muppet on the outside and an order muppet on the inside.
This is a SOlID offer. I’ve never heard of Horrocks but a quick google is going to fix that right up for me.
Love the blog, but wondering why you don’t have a local pizza place on speed dial? Surely someone in NOLA can do better than that chain.
Oh when I’m in New Orleans we go to Pizza Delicious but this particular weeekend we were way out in the country. :)
I discovered Ologies through a Sunday post of yours! And I’ve met Allie in person once and she’s delightful.
Oh I love that so much! She really is a gem!
I love my Roccbox! It so much fun to use and Gozney has so many fantastic recipes. I usually make an overnight fermented dough so I don’t have to wait as long for pizza satisfaction. Have you tried dessert pizzas yet? So good! Definitely try the pizza with Nutella. Thanks for another great Sunday morning read!
I feel like I’ve been very anti dessert pizza because they’re usually so bad and dinner pizza is so good but I do love nutella and I’m sure it wouldn’t disappoint on chewy hot dough!