Passionate About Pizza: Making Great Homemade Pizza (47 page)

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Brush the dough with the remaining mustard sauce. Spread the chicken pieces evenly over the pizza, and then spread the diced red pepper on top of the chicken. Drizzle some honey (and olive oil if too dry) over the toppings. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly and top with some dried rosemary.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for eight to ten minutes. Baking time may vary from five to fourteen minutes depending on the oven, but be careful not to bake too long; the crust should be crunchy-chewy and very lightly browned.

Pesto, Ricotta, and Prosciutto Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces ricotta cheese
salt and pepper
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
3/4 – 1 cup pesto
4 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 – 4 ounces prosciutto, very thinly sliced
Romano cheese
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Topping
– Place the pine nuts in a small pan. Cook over medium to low heat until toasted and slightly browned. Be careful not to over-cook the pine nuts or they will add a burned taste to the pizza. Mix the minced garlic with the ricotta cheese, add salt, and pepper to taste.

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Spread the pesto evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Using a teaspoon and your fingers, drop small dollops of ricotta cheese mixture evenly across the surface of the pizza. Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the pizza then drop the pine nuts evenly over the ricotta and Mozzarella cheese. Place the sliced prosciutto on the pizza in a pretty pattern. Season to taste with Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for ten to twelve minutes. Toppings should be boiling over the entire surface. The crust should be crunchy chewy and very lightly browned.

Rajas Pepper Strips with Chicken Pizza

"Rajas" is the Mexican word for strips. In this particular recipe, Rajas means strips of peppers that you sauté and cook with a smooth, rich cream sauce. They are wonderful!

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

3 large poblano peppers
2 medium red bell peppers
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
olive oil
4 ounces cooked chicken, cubed (optional)
8 ounces Chihuahua (or Monterrey jack) cheese, shredded
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Topping
– Hold the peppers over an open flame on a fork and turn frequently until completely charred on all sides. The more charred, the easier the skin comes off; however, be careful not to burn the pepper’s flesh. Place the peppers in a loosely closed paper bag until cool, about fifteen minutes. The peppers may ooze some liquid, so place the bag on a plate. Remove the peppers from the bag and rub off the blackened skin with your fingertips and a knife, if needed. Remove the tops, seeds, and veins from the peppers and discard them. Cut the peppers into 1/4 inch strips. Cut the onion into 1/4 inch thick slices to make rings then cut each slice into quarters.

Cook onion in 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it just starts to become translucent but not brown. Add the peppers and garlic and cook for four minutes. Add the cream, broth, wine, thyme, and salt, and pepper (to taste). Cook uncovered until the liquid is mostly gone and the sauce is quite thick. Cooking the peppers in the sauce and reducing the sauce mixture creates Rajas.

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Brush the dough with olive oil. Spread the pepper Rajas with its sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Sprinkle the cubed chicken over the rajas (if desired) and cover the pizza with the cheese. Season to taste with thyme, salt, and pepper.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for ten to twelve minutes. Toppings should be boiling over the entire surface. The crust should be crunchy chewy and very lightly browned.

Variation
– You can vary the amount and type of peppers you use in order to meet your desires for the taste and the spiciness of the Rajas.

Sautéed Peppers, Feta, and Garlic Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

3-4 medium sweet red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, seeded and julienned
dried Italian herb mixture
2 Tablespoons olive oil
15-20 cloves garlic, peeled
about 1 cup olive oil
1/2 pound Feta cheese, crumbled
1 – 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
fresh ground black pepper
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Toppings
– Gently sauté the peppers with 1/2 teaspoon of Italian herbs in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat, covered, for ten to fifteen minutes until the peppers are very soft. Do not allow the pan and peppers to dry out; you want the peppers to be saucy, soft, and juicy. Keep the pan covered after you finish cooking the peppers.

Peel each garlic clove and cut off the hard, bottom end. Place the garlic cloves in a very small saucepan and add olive oil to cover. Cook over very low heat, stirring periodically to prevent burning, until just tender and golden, about twenty minutes. Drain and reserve the oil.

Mash the cheese and herbs together with a fork. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste and mix well.

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Brush the dough with some of the garlic olive oil. Spread the peppers and any liquid that remains in the pan over the dough. Evenly distribute the cheese and herbs on the peppers. Sprinkle the cooked garlic cloves (torn or chopped, if desired) over the top of the pizza. Sprinkle with more mixed herbs, if desired (do not use too much).

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for eight to twelve minutes. Baking time may vary from eight to fourteen minutes depending on the oven, but be careful not to bake too long; the crust should be crunchy-chewy and very lightly browned.

Serving
– Just before serving, you can brush the edges of the crust with the garlic olive oil.

Alternatives
– You can mash up the cooked garlic cloves with the cheese. You can also purchase diced, roasted garlic in a jar to mix with the cheese instead of cooking the garlic yourself. I have used jarred roasted red peppers on this pizza and I do not recommend them; it just does not come out the same.

Sausage, Ricotta, and Fresh Tomato Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

1 large ripe fresh tomato
4 ounces Italian sausage
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
olive oil
1 cup Basic Pizza Sauce (see recipe
page 113
)
4 ounces ricotta cheese
6 – 8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Romano cheese, if desired
salt and pepper
dried basil
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)