Serves
4-8 (makes 2 - 12" pizzas)
Ingredients
- Dough:
- ¼-cup (2 ounces) warm water (110°F to 115°F)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast or 1¾ teaspoons instant (fresh) yeast
- 3¼ cups (16¼ ounces) bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup (8 ounces) water
- 3 tablespoons (1½ ounces) extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
- Pizza:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 ounces sliced baby portabella mushrooms
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½-cup homemade marinara sauce
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced very thin
- 4 ounces shaved parmigiana reggiano, plus more for finishing
- 4 ounces aged asiago, shredded
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1½ teaspoon dried oregano or basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 loosely packed cups baby arugula, tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper
Procedure
Place the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir to dissolve, if necessary.
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt and mix briefly to combine. Turn the mixer on low speed, add the yeast mixture and mix to combine. Add the water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, place it on a floured surface and cover with an inverted bowl, plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise at room temperature for about 1½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.
About 30 minutes before baking the pizza, place a pizza stone on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
While stone is preheating, caramelize mushrooms. In a medium frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add mushrooms and stir to coat. Stir occasionally for 5-8 minutes until both sides of mushrooms are golden brown. Remove pan from heat.
When the dough is ready, use a large knife or a bench scraper to divide it into 2 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, press out any bubbles that might have formed in the dough and form each piece into a small smooth ball.
On a lightly floured surface, stretch one ball of dough into a 12-inch round; transfer to a pizza peel covered in cornmeal, adding cornmeal where the dough sticks. Spread the marinara over the dough, leaving about an inch of the perimeter uncovered. Distribute the cheeses over the pizza and drizzle lightly with oil. Season with red pepper, seasonings, salt and pepper. Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the stone by giving it a few gentle shakes. Bake until the bottom is crispy and brown and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with caramelized mushrooms, greens and extra shaved parmigiano. Repeat with remaining ball of dough. Let cool a few minutes before slicing into triangles
Recipe for Dough developed by Sur la Table’s Cooking Classes
