Four Season Pizza
By Tested and perfected in the Sur La Table kitchen
Four Season Pizza
By Tested and perfected in the Sur La Table kitchen
Yield/Serves:
Makes 2 (12-inch) and 4 (8-inch) pizzas
Tomato sauce
Summer
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced Italian tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Summer
- ½ cup black olives, pitted
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 ounces prosciutto or ham, about 8 slices
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1 recipe Perfect Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
- Cornmeal or semolina flour, as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Basil leaves, for garnish
There are many ingredient versions of this pizza, always choose what is in season in your area. Each quadrant represents one of the four seasons and we have chosen our four favorite pizza toppings to represent each one.
Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. Allow the pizza stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes
To prepare the tomato sauce: Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Let sauce simmer quite furiously, stirring occasionally, to let the liquid cook down, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat if the sauce starts to stick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer tomato sauce to a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
To prepare toppings: To a skillet set over medium heat add olive oil. When oil is shimmering add sliced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
To make the pizza: Once your stone is preheated, start rolling out your dough. Dust work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½ inch and roll to desired diameter. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment and proceed with remaining dough.
Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce onto the dough. Top dough with shredded mozzarella. Visually divide the dough into four quadrants, Arrange each seasons’ toppings in a quadrant. Working quickly, open the oven and slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone. Allow your pizza to cook until you have reached your desired crust, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before you cut it. Repeat process with remaining dough and sauce.
To serve: Garnish pizza with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil.
Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. Allow the pizza stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes
To prepare the tomato sauce: Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Let sauce simmer quite furiously, stirring occasionally, to let the liquid cook down, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat if the sauce starts to stick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer tomato sauce to a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
To prepare toppings: To a skillet set over medium heat add olive oil. When oil is shimmering add sliced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
To make the pizza: Once your stone is preheated, start rolling out your dough. Dust work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½ inch and roll to desired diameter. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment and proceed with remaining dough.
Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce onto the dough. Top dough with shredded mozzarella. Visually divide the dough into four quadrants, Arrange each seasons’ toppings in a quadrant. Working quickly, open the oven and slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone. Allow your pizza to cook until you have reached your desired crust, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before you cut it. Repeat process with remaining dough and sauce.
To serve: Garnish pizza with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil.