What I found really interesting about the recipe was the dough. I pretty much changed up the toppings, but I wanted to try this dough. There is no yeast, and its made with olive oil. If you are a fan of thin crust pizza, which I am, then this is for you. It is so much easier than traditional pizza dough, and even though I have told you to purchase your pizza dough ready made, this is still easier. The magic comes in rolling it out. Traditional pizza dough is like working with silly putty. You roll it out and it just springs back; it takes work and skill to get it really thin. This is so easy to roll out. Also she makes some suggestions for baking that I found really helpful. This does not lend itself to wet soggy tomato sauce, it is more of a rustic pie, but oh so good! I am going to give you the dough recipe and some suggestions for toppings. This recipe makes enough for one large sheet pan. Feel free to double it. Have fun!
Olive oil dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2/3 cup warm water
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Combine oil and water and add to the flour mixture. I used a fork and then a wooden spoon to combine, and finally, a few quick turns with my hands. Cover with a dishtowel and let rest for 1/2 hour. You can let it rest as long as 24 hours. This is a very soft, moist dough.
While the dough is resting, you can pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare your toppings. About 15 minutes before you are ready to bake your pie, place your sheet pan in the oven to preheat. This little trick helps to make sure you have a crisp crust.
Now for toppings. I thinly sliced two onions and minced about 6 cloves of garlic. I sauteed this in about two tablespoons of olive oil until they were soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Next I prepared grape tomatoes but cutting in half and squeezing out the juice. Finally, the original recipe called for using uncooked Italian sausage as a topping, but I didn't want to defrost a whole package of sausage for just a few sausages, so I cut up some pepperoni into tiny bits and cooked it in a skillet to render out the fat. I also used kalamata olives, grated Asiago cheese, pesto which I had in the freezer, dried rosemary and dried basil.
Next cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your pan. Flour the paper and roll out your dough into a large rectangle. Turn over the edges to make a kind of lip around the outside. Next I covered it with the cooked onions and garlic. Then I put on the tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, herbs, a few blobs of pesto and cheese. Remove the hot pan from the oven, lift the parchment and place onto the pan. Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. I will admit the lifting of the parchment was a bit tricky as the dough folded over on itself, but it was an easy repair because this is such a forgiving dough.
Experiment with toppings. I would love to try broccoli, zucchini or other veggies. What about cooked chicken? The original recipe did not have cheese, but I added just a little. Try other cheeses and experiment with your toppings. Let me know how yours turned out! Don't forget that you can leave questions and comments in the comments section just below this post. Also please feel free to share with friends!
Happy cooking!
Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie
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