And I make pizza at least once a week.
Crust from scratch.
Tomato sauce from scratch.
Then add assorted toppings.
So today, I wanted pizza. Again. But slightly different.
Scratch that tomato sauce. I want a white pizza! No tomato sauce, but a white sauce.
First, make the dough for the crust.
Rosie's Pizza Crust
1/2 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup + flour
olive oil
Pour water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast in. Sprinkle sugar over top of yeast and let it proof. That means the yeast has to "prove" it's alive by eating the sugar and bubbling and getting puffy and foamy as it ferments and releases carbon dioxide and alcohol. Fork in the flour and add the salt. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead it until you have a nice smooth, elastic ball. Oil a medium sized bowl, place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning to coat in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. (This allows the flavors to develop.)
That is if you have the time.
If not, that's OK.
You can turn the dough out onto a well-oiled pizza pan right now if you want and start spreading the dough out.
Working from the center, just start pressing the dough outward. Let it rest, then press again. Press and rest. Don't rush it. Take your time.
When you get the dough pressed out, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over top and let it rise in a warm place.
Now, here's a Rosie Hint you can use any time you're letting dough rise and you want to give it a little boost. I wet a towel, nuke it for 2 minutes, then place the covered bowl of dough in the microwave on top of the hot towel, close the door, and let the heat and steam do their magic.
Make the white sauce while the dough is rising.
1 packet yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup + flour
olive oil
Pour water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast in. Sprinkle sugar over top of yeast and let it proof. That means the yeast has to "prove" it's alive by eating the sugar and bubbling and getting puffy and foamy as it ferments and releases carbon dioxide and alcohol. Fork in the flour and add the salt. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead it until you have a nice smooth, elastic ball. Oil a medium sized bowl, place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning to coat in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. (This allows the flavors to develop.)
That is if you have the time.
If not, that's OK.
You can turn the dough out onto a well-oiled pizza pan right now if you want and start spreading the dough out.
Working from the center, just start pressing the dough outward. Let it rest, then press again. Press and rest. Don't rush it. Take your time.
When you get the dough pressed out, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over top and let it rise in a warm place.
Now, here's a Rosie Hint you can use any time you're letting dough rise and you want to give it a little boost. I wet a towel, nuke it for 2 minutes, then place the covered bowl of dough in the microwave on top of the hot towel, close the door, and let the heat and steam do their magic.
Make the white sauce while the dough is rising.
Here's Rosie's white sauce, camouflaged with the crust, and hidden by my toppings - spinach, mushrooms, red peppers, and onions.
White Sauce For Pizza
2 TB unsalted butter
2 TB flour
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Add in shallot and garlic clove and cook about a minute or two, stirring. Do not brown the garlic - it gets bitter and will ruin the whole sauce.
Add in flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, to cook the raw out of the flour.
Stir in the milk, cooking, until thickened.
Stir in cheese and let melt. Pepper. Taste test. If you want kosher salt, add in a pinch.
Spread white sauce over pizza crust.
White Sauce For Pizza
2 TB unsalted butter
2 TB flour
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Add in shallot and garlic clove and cook about a minute or two, stirring. Do not brown the garlic - it gets bitter and will ruin the whole sauce.
Add in flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, to cook the raw out of the flour.
Stir in the milk, cooking, until thickened.
Stir in cheese and let melt. Pepper. Taste test. If you want kosher salt, add in a pinch.
Spread white sauce over pizza crust.
Add the toppings.
I used spinach, sliced mushrooms, sliced red peppers, sliced red onions.
Then, for a nice earthy touch, I put a drop of black truffle oil on top of each mushroom slice.
I used spinach, sliced mushrooms, sliced red peppers, sliced red onions.
Then, for a nice earthy touch, I put a drop of black truffle oil on top of each mushroom slice.
Top with assorted white cheeses, grated.
I used provolone and Gruyère.
Give it a light drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.
I used provolone and Gruyère.
Give it a light drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.
Heat oven with a pizza stone to 500°.
Place pizza pan on top of stone for 3 minutes.
Turn 180° and cook another 3 minutes.
Slide pizza off pan and onto pizza stone. (This is where the well-oiled pizza pan comes in handy.)
Cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Remove from oven and slide pizza onto wire rack.
Let cool for a few minutes, then slice.
Let cool for a few minutes, then slice.
Most excellent pizza!
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