Vine ripened tomato pizza
with roasted garlic puree, fresh mozzarella and pine nuts
8 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
1 Tbl. Olive oil
2 pc. Pizza dough (see basic recipe)
pinch Chili flakes
3-1/2 cups Swedish fontina cheese, grated (loosely packed)
20 slices Red onions, sliced very thinly
2 medium Vine ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
20 Cherry tomatoes
1 Buffalo mozzarella, about 6 oz., cubed 1/2"
2 Tbls. Parmesan cheese, grated very finely
2 Tbls. Pine nuts 2 Tbls. Chopped basil
Pre-heat the oven to 500 F. and place a baking stone or tile in to heat.
Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and the
unpeeled garlic cloves. Saute, stirring regularly, until the garlic skin
begins to caramelize. Transfer to the oven and roast until the cloves
become uniformly golden brown. Remove and cool. When cool, remove the
roasted garlic from the skins and place in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly
with a spoon to make a paste.
Roll the pieces of dough into roughly 10 " rounds using a rolling pin or by
pounding
and stretching the dough.
Sprinkle a light cutting board or pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina
and lay the pieces of dough down on it. Spread the garlic paste over the
pieces of dough, then
sprinkle the chili flakes evenly and spread the fontina cheese over the
dough, leaving a half inch rim without cheese. Next distribute the sliced
tomatoes, followed by the onion rings.
Arrange the cherry tomatoes evenly over the cheese and onions and
sprinkle the fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake for ten minutes or until the edge of the crust becomes golden brown
and the cheese bubbles in the center.
Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle the chopped
basil over and cut into six or eight pieces. Serve immediately.
Makes two 10" pizzas
Stuffed Pizza with Ricotta
Calzone
This is a type of pizza in which the dough is folded over and sealed,
making a half moon shape enclosing the filling.
pizza dough (see basic recipe)
1 egg
1/3 lb. mozzarella
8 tsp. grated parmigiano or pecorino cheese
1/3 lb. salame (or prosciutto)
1/3 lb. ricotta; salt and pepper to taste
12 Tbs. olive oil
Dice the mozzarella and cut the salame (or prosciutto ) into strips. Sieve
the ricotta, let it fall into a bowl and mix in the mozzarella, salame,
egg, grated cheese, a pinch of pepper and a little salt. Stretch the dough
with your hands (lightly coated with oil),
forming a disk 1 foot in diameter and 1/3 inch thick. Coat the stretched
dough with oil, cover half the dough with the mix previously prepared and
fold the other half over. Pinch the edge of the two halves together sealing
thoroughly. Coat generously with oil and bake in a wood-burning oven until
it achieves a golden color.
Calzone dell'Ortolano
Stuffed Vegetarian Pizza (Calzone)
1 lb flour - 9 oz spinach
8 oz ricotta cheese
5 oz leeks
5 oz zucchini (courgettes)
4 and 1/2 oz mozzarella cheese
4 and 1/2 oz diced carrots-
1 oz fresh active yeast
4 tbsp tomato sauce
garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper
Mix the yeast in a tablespoon of lukewarm water. Mix with the flour, one
tablespoon of oil, 1/3 oz salt and about 8 oz more lukewarm water. Knead
the dough by hand until smooth and elastic. Cover and allow to rise in a
warm place for about one hour. Saute the spinach in a tablespoon of oil
with a slivered garlic clover. Boil the carrots. Slice the leeks and
zucchini and saute in a tablespoon of oil. Put all vegetables together and
salt. Punch the dough down and allow to rise again as before. Flatten
into four discs. Top half of each with 1/4 of the vegetables, diced
mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Fold the other half over, seal the edges,
spread with tomato sauce and sprinkle with oil.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and bake the stuffed pizza for 18 minutes.
Shrimp Pizzette with Mango Salsa
A refreshing salsa tops shrimp on these seafood pizzettes.
Yogurt cheese is a low-fat substitute for traditional cream cheese.
Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh hot chili or to taste
Salt to taste
Topping
Olive oil, preferably extra-virgin, for brushing
1-3/4 cups yogurt cheese (see below), or 12 ounces natural cream cheese,
at room temperature
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet red onion
12 ounces cooked small shrimp
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey jack cheese or sliced
Teleme cheese
Minced fresh cilantro for garnish
Yogurt Cheese
Spoon 4 cups (2 pounds) plain yogurt, made without gelatin, into a strainer
lined with cheesecloth and placed over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 12
to 24 hours, or until thickened. Discard the whey or use it for baking or in
a sauce or soup.
Prepare the dough. At least 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to
475 degrees F. If using a baking stone or tiles, preheat the oven for 30
minutes with the stone or tiles on the bottom shelf of the oven. To prepare
the salsa: In a small bowl combine the mango, onion, cilantro, lime or lemon
juice, chili, and salt, and set aside.
Cut the dough into quarters, cut each piece of dough into sixths, and roll
them into 4-inch rounds on a lightly floured surface. Or, cut the dough into
quarters, then cut each of these pieces into quarters and roll them into
6-inch rounds. Place on 3 oiled pizza pans or baking sheets. Prick the
rounds all over with a fork and brush the dough with olive oil.
If using a baking stone or tiles, place one pan on the stone or tiles.
Otherwise, place one pan on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 4
minutes, or until the crusts are firm and lightly browned. Spread with the
cheese, leaving a border around the edge. Sprinkle with the onion, shrimp,
and shredded or sliced cheese.
Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the crusts are crisp and
browned on the bottom. Top each pizzetta with a spoonful of mango salsa,
garnish with the cilantro, and serve immediately. Repeat to bake the
remaining pizzette. If desired, the untopped crusts may be baked in advance,
then topped and heated.
Makes twenty-four 4-inch or sixteen 6- inch pizzette
Basic Pizza Dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees Farenheit)
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4-teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Hand method: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir in
the honey or sugar. Let stand until dissolved and foamy, about 10 minutes.
Mix in 1 cup of the flour, the salt, and oil, stirring with a wooden spoon
until smooth. Gradually add the
remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating until the dough pulls
away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out on a lightly floured
board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Heavy-duty electric mixer method
In a heavy-duty electric mixer bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and
stir in the honey or sugar. Let stand until dissolved and foamy, about 10
minutes. Using the flat paddle attachment, mix in 1 cup of the flour, plus the
salt and the oil. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time and beat
for 2 minutes, or until the dough clings together in a ball and is smooth
and elastic. It is not necessary to knead by hand.
Food processor method
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir in the honey.
Let stand until dissolved and foamy, about 10 minutes. Place the flour and
salt in a food processor with the metal blade attached. Process for 5
seconds. Add the oil to the yeast mixture and, with the machine running,
pour this mixture through the feed tube and process until the dough clings
together in a ball, about 30 seconds. Turn out on a floured surface and
knead for 1 or 2 minutes.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm place (70 degrees to 80 degrees Farenheit) until doubled
in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the dough from the bowl. Use it immediately or wrap it loosely in
plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If chilled, let the dough
stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before proceeding. Prepare the
toppings.
To shape and bake
At least 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 475 degrees
Farenheit. If using a baking stone or tiles, preheat the oven for 30 minutes
with the stone or tiles on the lowest shelf. To make appetizer-size
pizzette, cut the dough into quarters. Cut each piece of dough into sixths,
pat into a ball, and press down with the heel of your palm to form a disc.
With a rolling pin, roll each piece into a 4-inch round, or stretch the
dough with your fingers. To make 6-inch pizzette, cut the dough into
quarters, then cut each of these pieces into quarters and roll them into
6-inch rounds. Place on 3 oiled pizza pans or baking sheets. Top with
toppings and let rise 20 minutes. If using a baking stone or tiles, place
one pan on the preheated baking stone or tiles. Otherwise, place one pan on
the middle shelf of the oven. Bake the 4-inch pizzette for 5 minutes and the
6-inch pizzette for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the crusts are crisp and
browned on the bottom. Repeat to bake the remaining pizzette.
Makes twenty-four 4-inch pizzette or sixteen 6-inch pizzette
