Sunday, October 11, 2009

I'm dreaming of a white...

...pizza!

It seems like I've been making a lot of pizza lately. When it's a little chilly, I love turning the oven on. And what better way to make great use of all that heat than by baking pizzas! I was in the mood for something a little different today, though. Instead of my usual red sauce and pepperoni pizza, I opted for a white pizza. It's actually one of my favorite pizzas, but for some reason, I rarely make it.

After patting out some of the dough, I spread some roasted garlic paste over the pie and drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil over the whole thing. Into the oven on a baking stone it went for about 10 minutes. I removed the crust and spread some ricotta over the the pizza, then sprinkled mozzarella and grated parmigiana reggiano over the ricotta. I had a very ripe tomato I needed to use, so I thinly sliced it and put on top of the cheese, then seasoned the whole thing with salt, pepper, and a little dried oregano. Back into the oven for about 10 more minutes. It was wonderful - my kitchen still smells like a great New York pizza parlor!

White Pizza

dough
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
2-1/4 teaspoons dried instant yeast
1-1/2 cup tepid water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix flour, vital wheat gluten, instant yeast, water and olive oil. If dough does not come together and form a ball, add a bit more water. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Add salt, mix well, and knead for 5 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in draft-free area to rise until double, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice off the top of 1 head of garlic. Place in a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up foil around garlic and seal tightly. Place in oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until garlic is tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Squeeze garlic into small bowl and mash into a paste.

Raise temperature of oven to 500 F.

Pat dough into circle. Spread roasted garlic paste over dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place in oven (on baking stone, if available) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread pizza with 1/2 cup ricotta (or more, if desired). Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Optional: place sliced tomatoes, spinach, blanched broccoli, or mushrooms over cheese. Season pizza with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano. Return to oven for additional 10 minutes, until crust is sufficiently browned and cheese has melted.




8 comments:

  1. Oh Lori, dear! Does this ever look delicious. :)

    I would love to have this for dinner this evening... alas, it will be leftovers here. But maybe later this week, I'll be dreaming of it until then. I'm favoring white pizzas more than ever lately and yours looks divine. xo

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  2. I love baked garlic and pizza. Thanks for reminding about some delicious things )

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  3. Pizza with roasted garlic and tomatoes - I'll have to put it on the menu for this week. Thanks for the recipe Lori.
    Cheers!
    Ry

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  4. Oh girl this is one of my favorite pizzas!
    Sometimes with some fresh spinach added as well!
    Yours looks fabulous and so inviting I would love it for breakfast...right now!
    L~xo

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  5. Love your white pizza! The simpler the better as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't roasting garlic smell heavenly?

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  6. Great pizza photo and even better music on your site! The photos remind me of the pizza served at Dino's Pizza chain in central PA.

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  7. It's so simple, but the white pizza often tastes better than the usual with the tomato sauce. Plus, the roasted garlic gives it a nutty flavor, which is great on this pizza. Nice.

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