Pizza is one of those things that most people like. I love it because of it's versatility. You can make any type of pizza crust you want (thin, thick, white, whole wheat, etc.), choose a sauce (or none) and toppings. Plus, it's fun to make too!
When Hubby and I first started making pizza, it was totally his project. He wanted to be in charge of making the dough, stretching the crust and choosing the toppings. I was the assistant. But, somehow, I took over. Oops.
This is one of the favorite pizzas I make, and it is for sure the one I make most often. I typically make it when I've bought too many mushrooms and I'm trying to use them up.
I have tried MANY different pizza crust recipes, and I like this one for this pizza. I prefer thinner for some pizzas, but because this one is more sparsely topped, it works well with a thicker crust, especially with a little whole wheat.
Making pizza crust is basically like making bread. You mix up the dough, knead it and let it rise. While it's rising, you can prep the rest of the ingredients.
The toppings for this pizza do require a little prep. The mushrooms have to be sliced...
And sautéed.
And so do the onions. The great thing though, is that once you have them cooked, you can stick the mushrooms and onions in the fridge until you're ready to use them. You could make them a day or two in advance if needed.
Now back to the dough. This time, I let mine rise a little too long. You can see the dimples on top where it's started to fall. I guess I'll have to pay more attention next time. Oh well, it still worked. If this happens to you, just stick in in the fridge to stop the rising process.
About an hour before you want to start cooking, place a pizza stone in the oven and start preheating. You want to set the temperature as high as it goes - typically 500°F, but possibly 550°F. When it's time to make the pizza, you'll cut a piece of dough the size you need. I make 2 smallish pizzas from this dough recipe. I find it's easier to work with smaller ones. If you make them too big, it can be tricky to get it off the sheet/board you're assembling the pizza on into the oven.
Roll or stretch the ball of dough into the size you want. The thinner you can get it, the thinner the crust will be. Lay it out on a cutting board or flat (non-rimmed) baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil, then spread on the mushrooms and onions as well as crumbled goat cheese. Grind some fresh pepper over top.
Now for the trickiest part - getting the pizza into the oven in one piece. What I usually do is run a flipper under the dough, and try to shove a big more cornmeal/semolina underneath. Then jiggle your tray or cutting board to get the pizza off and onto the waiting pizza stone in the oven. The trick is to not jiggle so much that you lose some of your toppings.
Keep an eye on the pizza while it's in the oven. Take it out when the cheese and crust are starting to brown. I usually cook mine for around 10 minutes.
For this particular pizza, you can cut it right away once it comes out of the oven. It's perfect with a plain green salad that's dressed with balsamic dressing.
Caramelized onion, mushroom and goat cheese pizza
Ingredients
Crust
- ¾ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 1 cups bread flour
- 1 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings
- 1 medium or 2 small yellow onions thinly sliced
- 8 oz white mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided, plus additional for brushing on crust
- 4 oz goat cheese
- Freshly ground pepper salt to taste
Instructions
Crust
- Dissolve honey in the warm water in a measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the flours and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Mix the yeast into the water and add the olive oil. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour the water and yeast mixture into the flours. If the dough remains very sticky, add an additional ¼ cup bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is smooth and elastic. Knead dough for 5 minutes.
- Form dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and let it rise for at least one hour. You can put the dough in the fridge until ready to use.
For the toppings
- Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate or bowl. They can be refrigerated until needed.
- Turn skillet to medium low heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the onions until soft and golden brown. If the onions become dry and start to brown to quickly, add 1-2 tablespoon water to the pan. Transfer to a bowl or plate and refrigerate if needed until you're ready to use them.
- Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500°F for one hour.
- Cut the dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time and the the others covered. Roll and/or stretch into a circle. Lay on a wooden cutting board, pizza peel or rimless baking sheet that has been covered with cornmeal or semolina. Lightly brush with olive oil and cover with the onions, mushrooms and crumbled goat cheese. Add freshly ground pepper if desired.
- Transfer pizza to the pizza stone in the oven. Bake until crust and cheese are starting to brown, 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cut into wedges.
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