potato pizza.

I am not much of a potato person.  To be honest, if you look at the recipe history of this blog, it's fairly devoid of potato recipes. 

To me, if I'm going to eat a starchy, carby, food, pasta will always win and for that reason, I tend to overlook potatoes.  But when the farmers market returned 2 weeks ago (hip hip hooray!) and they were selling what they referred to as "Fancy Yukon Potatoes" I felt I was doing myself a disservice by not buying them. 

I brought them home, looked at them and thought they were adorable and very fancy looking, and I had no idea what to do with them. That was until I made a lunch pitstop at Sullivan St Bakery and saw the potato pizza and realized combining your favorite thing (bread) with something you love less (potatoes) may result in a very tasty dinner.  

This is my ode to that in-between weather.   When you are aching for BBQ's but the weather isn't quite there yet so you make a pizza thats perfect for sharing with friends.   It's good with rose, it's good with beer, and it's even better the next day with an egg on it.   

Potato Pizza 
Recipe tweaked from Jim Lahey 

4 teaspoons fine sea or table salt
6 to 8 (1 kilo) small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces of spring garlic, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino 
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see below)

In a medium bowl, combine the 1 quart lukewarm water with salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Use a mandoline or your best sharpest knife to slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick), and put the sliced directly into the salted water, which prevents oxidation and also helps soften them so they cook up nicely. Let them soak for 1 1/2 hours or up to 12 in the fridge overnight.

Heat your oven to 500°F with a rack in the center. Brush a 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan with olive oil. Use your fingertips, oiled or dusted with flour, to pull, stretch, nudge and press the dough across the bottom of the pan. The dough will be thin and imperfect. If holes form, just pinch them together. It’s all going to work out, promise.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry on paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the potato slices with the onion, spring garlic, parmesan and olive oil. Spread this potato mixture over your dough, going all the way to the edges so that there’s no uncovered edge; put a bit more topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quickly. Usually the salt the potatoes were soaked in is enough, but you can sprinkle more on if desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is nicely bronzed underneath. Serve pizza hot or at room temperature.

Jim Lahey’s Basic Pizza Dough

2 cups minus 1 tablespoon (250 grams) all-purpose or bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons (5 grams) instant or active dry yeast
A heaped 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
A heaped 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
2/3 cups (150 grams) room temperature water

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until well blended, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Continue using instructions above.

stromboli lasagna.

This recipe showed up on the Smitten Kitchen site about a week before the Superbowl and it took me all of 12 seconds to decide that I had to make it for Superbowl Sunday.   

I probably don't need to tell you that I have a real weakness for things involving bread, sauce, and cheese.  (My last meal on earth will always be pizza.)  And this stromboli which is essentially layer upon layer of thinly sliced pizza on top of thinly sliced pizza is like the perfect marriage of a pizza and a lasagna.  It's also the kind of dish that would allow for so many variations - a white version with crumbled sausage and greens, a tomato version with roasted zucchini and ricotta, basically I could go on forever.   

I know it looks daunting but I promise it's not scary (the dough is incredibly forgiving) and the resulting dish is the epitome of party food (so I suggest you invite some friends over).   

Stromboli Lasagna (Scaccia Ragusana-Style)
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

For the Dough

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons or 165 ml) lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup (115 grams) semolina flour
1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
A few sprigs of fresh basil

Assembly

2 ounces finely grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
6 ounces coarsely grated provolone (aged is great if you can get it) or caciocavallo cheese
2 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella (if buying in a ball, buy wrapped in plastic, not sitting in water)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 3 1/2 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni (optional)
A few slivered leaves of fresh basil (optional)

Make the dough by hand: In a large bowl, combine flours and salt with your fingers or a whisk. Make a well in the center and pour in warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy, then add oil to liquid and mix together with your hands or spoon until a craggy ball forms. Knead it together, gathering any loose flour, into a ball, then transfer to a counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until a smooth, elastic ball has formed. Oil your now-empty bowl and return dough to it, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; it should double. (Mine was done on the early end — for once.)

Make the dough in a stand mixer: Pour water, sugar, and yeast into the bottom of the mixer’s bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Add oil to yeast mixture, then flours, then salt and use the machine’s dough hook to pull the mixture into a craggy ball. Knead on low for 5 minutes, scraping down as needed, until a smooth, elastic ball has formed. Briefly remove it from your mixer bowl, oil the bowl, and return the dough to it, covering the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; it should double. (Mine was done on the early end — for once.)

Meanwhile, and I mean right away so it has time to leisurely cool, make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a medium-sized pot over medium, then add garlic, cook until it barely picks up color, and add pepper flakes and oregano, stir again. Add canned tomatoes (be careful — it’s going to splash up) and salt and stir to combine. Add basil, bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce to a low simmer, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard basil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Set aside to cool to lukewarm or room temperature while dough rises.

Mix cheeses together in a large bowl and refrigerate until needed.

To make a stromboli/packet-like/scaccia shape: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll your dough into the thinnest rectangle that you can, pulling and stretching it as needed. You’re looking for 1/16-inch thickness; the longer sides should be parallel to you.

Spread tomato sauce over the whole rectangle in a thin, but not too thin, layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with about half the cheese, scatter with slices of pepperoni and slivers of basil, if using.

Fold the left and right sides of the dough over the filling to meet at the center. Spread the top with more sauce, seasonings, cheese, and toppings.

Fold the top and bottom in so they meet in the center; spread the top with more sauce, seasonings, and remaining cheese and toppings.

Fold top half over bottom half, take a deep breath, and lift this from the counter and onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Prick the top all over with a fork.

Bake the stromboli/packet/scaccia shape: For about 1 hour, until deeply browned all over and charred in some spots. Rotate the pan as needed for even coloring. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into squares with a serrated knife, and serving.

pizza (roberta's version).

Based on the fact that I have spent the better part of the last week debating the merits of serving pizza in some form at our impending nuptials, it's safe to safe I am a pizzaholic.  There is no food more perfect then a slice of pizza.  If you beg to differ with me then I doubt we are friends.  

Last week when the NYTimes ran an article about making pizza at home along with a recipe for Roberta's pizza, I knew it was time for me to test a new dough recipe.  Pizza dough recipes are kind of like chocolate chip cookies or jeans or even white tee-shirts, there are a million different versions and you will spend your entire life looking for the perfect one.  At least that's how I see myself spending my life. Searching for the perfect pizza recipe, one that tastes like a cross between Paulie Gee's and my Mom's.  The only way I will find such a recipe is if I sell my soul to the devil. 

The Roberta's pizza dough is pretty darn awesome and pretty absurdly easy so no complaining you can't make homemade pizza.  It's chewy with a good flavorful bite and the perfect base for a multitude of toppings.  But before you get crazy with ramps, mushrooms, and asparagus, try your hand at a simple Pizza Margherita because sometimes simple is best.  

Roberta’s Pizza Dough

Recipe via the NYTimes

Makes 2 12-inch Pizzas

Time: 20 minutes plus at least 3 hours' rising

153 grams 00 flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)

153 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons)

8 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)

2 grams active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)

4 grams extra-virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams (about 1 cup) lukewarm tap water, the yeast and the olive oil, then pour it into flour mixture. Knead with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes, then let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.

Knead rested dough for 3 minutes. Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on a heavily floured surface, cover with dampened cloth, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 36 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)

To make pizza, place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares. Top and bake (See below for topping the pizza).

NOTE: Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.

Pizza Margherita

Recipe adapted from NYTimes

2 12-inch rounds of pizza dough, stretched (see above dough recipe)

½ cup tomato sauce, divided in half

6 ounces fresh mozzarella

8 basil leaves, roughly torn (optional)

Red pepper flakes and grated parmesan for serving (optional)

Place a pizza stone or tiles on the middle rack of your oven and turn heat to its highest setting. Let it heat for at least an hour.

Put half the sauce in the center of the stretched dough and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly across the surface, stopping approximately 1/2 inch from the edges.

Break half the cheese into large pieces (or thinly slice it) and place gently on the sauce. Scatter basil leaves over the top (if using).

Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone or tiles in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.  (NOTE: If you do not have a pizza peel you can stretch the dough to the size ahead of time.  Then when ready to bake, quickly remove the pizza stone from the oven and place the stretched dough on top.  Working quickly, top with sauces and cheese then put the pizza back in the oven.) 

When the pizza is cooked, remove from the oven and top with crushed red pepper and parmesan.  

breakfast pizza, take 2.

This is the breakfast pizza I've spent most of my life dreaming about.

I know some people are apprehensive about the idea of an egg on a pizza.  But in my eyes it's an utterly genius addition, up there with the combination of peanut butter and miso (don't knock until you try it on soba noodles with thinly sliced peppers and carrots and diced chicken with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds, divine).

An egg does not belong on every pizza, I can't imagine adding one to Paulie Gee's Hellboy, that one is perfect just the way it is, but it does pair brilliantly with any pizza involving aged cheddar cheese.  Here a personal pie is topped with a single egg, barely cooked so when your fork pierces the center, molten yolk oozes out over the whole pizza.  Combined with chunks of avocado, a (heavy) sprinkle of cheddar, and some Sriracha for some heat, and you basically have the most perfect open-faced breakfast sandwich/pizza hybrid ever.

Just bring napkins, this is not a neat dish in the slightest.

Breakfast Pizza, Take 2
Recipe inspired by an Instagram Photo

This is absurdly adaptable so have fun (some bacon wouldn't be a bad idea..).  And my pictures don't accurately show the egg.  I may have over-baked mine.  It was a sad day and I don't want to talk about it.  

Makes 4 Pizzas

1 recipe of my favorite no-knead pizza dough (here!)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided plus more for greasing the pan.
Salt 
Pepper
1 cup packed sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
1/2 - 1 avocado (depending on your level of avocado love), cubed 
Sriracha for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Divide the pizza dough into 4 pieces and stretch the rounds into 7is-inch rounds.  (No need to be perfect!)  Place the dough on your greased sheet pan (I can usually fit 2 on a sheet pan) .  Drizzle the dough with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Bake for 5 minutes.  

Remove the pan from the oven.  Carefully top each round of dough with an egg.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 2 minutes.  

Remove the pan from the oven again, top each round with a quarter of the cheese and return the pans to the oven to bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the egg white is set and the cheese is melted. 

Top each pizza with 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, some cubed avocado, additional salt and pepper to taste, and a generous drizzle of Sriracha.  

brussel sprout béchamel pizza.

I know Thanksgiving just came and went and you're probably thinking about salads and soups before the glut of holiday cookies arrives at the office but it would be foolish if you didn't also think about pizza.  

This brussel sprouts pizza to be exact.  

I feel bad doing this to you, but there is a 1/4 pound of brussel sprouts on each of these pizzas so that makes this kind of like a salad pizza.  Right?  (Don't tell me otherwise.)  

This is the best white pizza I have ever made.  The béchamel is creamy but not overly heavy.  It provides the perfect base for a sprinkle of mozzarella and a heavy layer of brussel sprout leaves.  As the pizza bakes, the leaves crisp up, turning into crunchy bites of deliciousness that pair perfectly with the rich and cheesy béchamel. It's kind of amazing which is why I'm making for dinner again tomorrow night (I kid you not).    

Brussel Sprout Pizza
Recipe inspired by Jim Lahey

Makes 2 pizzas (or enough pizza for 4 people)

Béchamel 

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk (not skim) 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 ounce fontina, diced
1 tablespoon parmesan

Pizza

1 recipe béchamel (recipe above)
1 recipe pizza dough (I've been using this one from Smitten Kitchen as of late and it's pretty spectacular)
1/2 pound brussel sprouts 
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste 
5 - 6 ounces of mozzarella, shredded 
2 tablespoons parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Prepare your brussel sprouts: Wash the brussel sprouts.  Cut off the bottom and carefully remove as many of the outer leaves as possible and place them in a large bowl.  You want to try and get as many leaves as possible before you dice the inside.  They don't need to be perfect but the leaves are key since they provide an excellent crispy crunch to the pizza. If it gets hard to remove them, cut off a little more of the bottom.  When you get to the inside of the sprout and can't remove any more of the leaves, thinly slice whats left and add it to the bowl.  Repeat with the remaining brussel sprouts.  At then end you will have a lot of leaves, don't worry, they shrink down when you cook them.  Toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Preheat a pizza stone or generously oil a large baking sheet.  

Make the béchamel: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of flour until a paste forms. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking until smooth. Bring the béchamel sauce to a simmer over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until no floury taste remains, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fontina until melted. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan.

Prepare the pizza: Divide your dough in half.  On a lightly floured work surface, stretch your dough into a round or rectangular shape about 10 inches in diameter.  (Trust me, it doesn't need to be perfect.)  Remove the pizza stone from the oven or get your oiled baking sheet and place the dough on it.  (I like to wrap the dough over a rolling pan to transfer).  Spread half the béchamel on the pizza.  Top with half the mozzarella.  Place the pizza in the oven.  After 5 minutes, remove the pizza from the oven and top with half the brussel sprouts.  Return the pizza to the oven and continue to bake for another 5 - 8 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are charred and blistered and the crust is golden brown. Top with 1 tablespoon parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.  

sauteed zucchini pizza with walnut pesto and ricotta.

I decided today, on the walk home from work, that the month of September may be the best month at the farmer's market.  It's where summer and fall collide into a beautiful produce filled mess, where tomatoes and apples and pumpkin and zucchini and peaches and peppers live together harmoniously.  It's an epic time. 

I've waited for what feels like months to make this pizza.  I first saw a recipe for it long before zucchini season arrived and so I filed it away so that when August did arrive I could make it.  The thing about August and pizza is that they don't really go together because its too god damm hot to make pizza when your apartment already feels like a sauna.  Turning on the oven and then the air conditioner to try and offset the heat radiating out of the oven is just a recipe for disaster.  (Unless of course you have a grill or an outdoor pizza oven and if that's the case I would love for you to send me an e-mail so we can schedule a weekend to get together next year since I would love to take advantage of those things. I promise to also bring dessert.) 

Thankfully zucchini season extends into September when the weather is cooler (bye air conditioning, hello open windows!), and I can finally have a relationship with my oven again and with pizza!  This pizza is a good way to merge the seasons - the pungent pesto and spicy sauteed zucchini reminds you of summer where as the smoky mozzarella is reminiscent of fall. I love serving it with ice cold pumpkin beers (what could be better on a Sunday night?!) 

Sauteed Zucchini Pizza with Walnut Pesto and Ricotta

Recipe is a combination of several most notably this one and this one

Makes 2 pizzas

So a couple of notes. I tested a new pizza dough recipe since I always love trying new things.  The one I used is here (I halved it).  As you already know there are more then enough pizza dough recipes on this blog (here,  here, and here).  Any of these would work well, just depends on what type of recipe you are looking for.  Store-bought pizza dough is always an option (no judgement).  Any leftover pesto/zucchini can be folded into pasta for a killer lunch.  

For the Pizza

2 zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 balls of pizza dough (see notes above on recipe's for dough)

4 tablespoons creme fraiche, divided

2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

2/3 cup walnut pesto (recipe below)

1 (4 ounce ball) smoked mozzarella (if you can't find smoked regular works as well), torn into pieces

1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh ricotta

2 cups of arugula tossed with a pinch of salt

Walnut Pesto 

1 cup toasted walnuts

2/3 cup fresh basil

2/3 cup arugula

Juice of half a lemon

1 clove garlic

2 -3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil (depending on your preference, I prefer less oil then what traditional recipes call for)

2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Make the walnut pesto: Puree walnuts, basil, arugula, lemon juice and garlic, then stream in olive oil and cream.  Puree completely. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in grated Parmesan.  Add salt and peper to taste 

If using a pizza stone, place it on the top rack of your oven and preheat at 500°F for 1 hour.  Use convection if you have it.  If you are not using a pizza stone, preheat your oven 20 minutes before you are ready to bake.  Lighly oil a baking sheet or a metal pizza pan. 

Sauté zucchini with olive oil and red pepper flakes over high heat until deeply browned in parts, 6–8 minutes.

Form each ball of pizza dough into 12"–14" rounds on a floured work surface.  If using a pizza peel dust it with semolina flour or cornmeal.  If not prepare the pizza on your oiled pizza pan.  Place 1 formed pizza dough on peel/pan and spread with 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, along with thin slices of 1 garlic clove.  Top with ⅓ cup walnut pesto, torn pieces of fresh mozzarella, ¼ cup ricotta and a generous amount of zucchini. 

Slide pizza onto pizza stone using a swift movement or place pizza pan in the oven and bake for 8­–10 minutes until golden brown and darker in some parts.  Assemble the next while the previous is baking.

Remove and top each pizza with 1 cups of arugula and a sprinkle of flaky salt.

corn pizza with bacon.

Last year when I wrote about corn pizza, I imagined that would be the only recipe for corn pizza on the blog because really, how many recipes can there possibly be for corn pizza.  There is only so much wheel reinvention that can happen between corn and crust.   But I was wrong!  Oh, how wrong I was because there is a whole other world of corn pizza that I didn’t tackle and I only just realized that after reading my latest cookbook acquisition I Heart New York.   Corn puree.  Actually it’s a corn puree and mascarpone and it really is the most wonderful tasting thing.  A little sweet, a little tangy, a whole lot of creamy, and very addicting (it may have been consumed by the spoonful which I am not in the slight bit embarrassed to admit).  This corn puree is generously applied to the crust where it stands in as a sauce (oh it’s such a good sauce).  It’s topped with cubes of rich, smoky bacon, a handful of sweet corn kernels, and when it emerges from the oven a (healthy) sprinkle of aged raw milk cheddar.  It is absurdly amazing with a pure sweet corn taste that marries beautifully with the salty cheese and bacon.  I won’t say it’s better or worse than my previous corn pizza recipe (you can’t expect me to play favorites) but I plan on making it again this weekend if that’s any indication of how I feel.

Corn Pizza with Bacon

Recipe adapted from I Love New York By Daniel Humm and Will Guidara

The cookbook suggests making this on the grill but my grill situation was not up to snuff so I can't advise on that. I plan on remaking it on the grill when I am home at my parents next week (FYI Mom and Dad!) so I can report back on that then! Below are the instructions for cooking this in the oven which works absurdly well.  

Makes 4 pizzas

1 batch of my favorite pizza dough

Corn pudding (recipe below)

1/4 cup mascarpone

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 ear of corn)

1/2 cup diced (1/8 inch) uncooked bacon

Red chile flakes

4 ounces grated raw cow milk cheddar (or something similar - I found mine at Whole Foods)

Basil for topping if you choose

Remove the pizza dough from the refridgerator and allow to proof for 1 hour at room temperature.  While it is proofing preheat you oven to 500 degrees (or as hot as it gets) and place your pizza stone in the oven if you have one (if you don't use a baking sheet). Combine the corn pudding with the mascarpone in a medium bowl. When the dough is done proofing, stretch one of the pieces of dough into an oval.  Remove the pizza stone or baking sheet from the oven and place the dough on top of the stone.  Working quickly, top the dough with 3/4 cup of the corn pudding mixture, 1/4 cup of the corn kernels, 2 tablespoons of bacon, and a pinch of chile flakes.  Return the pizza to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is cooked and charred in spots and the bacon is cooked.  Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with 1 ounce of the grated cheese.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 4 pizzas.  

Corn Pudding

Recipe adapted from I Love New York By Daniel Humm and Will Guidara

I tried to streamline this part mostly because I didn’t exactly understand where this corn juice was coming from that they use in the recipe.  But my work exceptionally well!

2 cups corn kernels (from about 5 ears of corn)

¼ cup water or milk

3 tablespoons mascarpone

¾ teaspoon salt

Place the corn kernels in a food processor and process until a chunky puree forms.  While the machine is running, pour a tablespoon of water in at a time.  Continue pouring in water a little at a time until the puree smoothes out a little (its fine for it to still be a little chunky since you don’t want to add too much water). 

Dump the corn puree into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat while whisking constantly.  After 1 ½ to 2 minute, as the starches in the corn juice just start to thicken, turn down the hear slightly to avoid scorching.  Whisk until the corn reaches a puddinglike thickness, another 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the mascarpone.  Season with salt.  Allow to cool and then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

whole wheat pizza dough.

I thought a delicious whole wheat pizza crust was an impossible thing to make. 

It turns out I was wrong (which makes me pleasantly surprised). 

This crust is everything a pizza crust should be  - it’s chewy and crispy, with a strong taste that develops as the dough rests in the fridge.   The nutty whole wheat flour gives an interesting texture and an added level of flavor that you don’t get from traditional white flour crusts.    I love pairing it with vegetables – thin slices of zucchini with basil and pecorino, blistered cherry tomatoes with ricotta and garlic oil (as seen to the left), or roasted peppers with chorizo and manchego.   The nuttiness balances out the sweetness of the vegetables (and the vegetables get super sweet and mellow as they cook in the oven). 

This will be a summer staple (actually it already is a summer staple) – I am already dreaming about a corn and tomato pizza with bacon and blue cheese.  Summer eating makes me swoon. 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Recipe via Cooks Illustrated 

The key here is to make sure your pizza pan is SUPER hot.  I suggest heating it at least 30 - 45 minutes before you want to cook.  It’s imperative if you want a super crispy crust! 

Makes 2 13-inch pizzas 

1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) whole-wheat flour

1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) bread flour

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast (I used active dry yeast and it worked fine for me)

1 1/4 cups ice water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

To make the dough: Process whole wheat flour, bread flour, honey and yeast in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds.  With processor running, add water and process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds.  Let dough stand for 10 minutes.  

Add oil and salt to dough and process until it forms satiny, stick ball that clears sides of the workbowl, 45 to 60 seconds.  Remove from bowl and knead on oiled counter-top until smooth, about 1 minute.  Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days.  

To bake the pizza: One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack 4 1/2 inches from broiler element, set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.  Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. (At this point if you are only making 1 pizza you can place the other ball of dough in the freezer. Defrost on counter when ready to use.)  Shape each half into a smooth tight ball.  Place balls on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with plastic coated with vegetable oil spray.  Let stand for 1 hour.  

Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well floured counter-top.  Using your fingertips gently flatten into an 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker then the center.  Lift edge of dough and using your back of hands and knuckles, gently stretch into a 12 inch round, working along edges and giving a quarter turns as you stretch.  Remove pizza stone from oven, and carefully place your pizza dough on your stone.  Top dough with toppings of your choice (work quickly!).  Return stone to the oven and bake the pizza for 8 - 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.  Let pizza rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve.