Taste Level: GRCost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 40-45 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 2
This is a special edition of Cookingforzo.com. We have to call it "Cooking for each other" because we worked together to make this pizza and the pizza that will be the post tomorrow. We both had a hand in making the sourdough started, we both kneaded a crust and we both decided what toppings and sauces we should use on both pizzas. One of the first meals Zo and I ever made together was a pizza. Pizza I really feel is a great meal for couples to make together. You have to work side by side and that gives you plenty of chances to accidentally kiss one another. It also really shows you how well you work together as a team in a small space (if you are in our kitchen.) These were some really great pizzas and the starter dough was actually based off of Zo's favorite pizza place Arizmendi Bakery's sourdough pizza dough recipe. I went ahead and rolled fresh minced garlic, Parmesan and Romano into this ones dough to flavor it up since we decided not to use a tomato sauce. Hope you enjoy our pizzas!
(For instructions on how to make your own sourdough pizza skin check posting dated 7/7/09.)
Ingredients:
Toppings
10 oz fresh mozzarella (shredded)
1/3 cup Fontina (shredded)
2 tbsp Parmesan Reggiano (grated)
2/3-3/4 cup Arugula leaves
1 ripe but firm vine tomato (sliced)
1/3 cup sweet onion
1/3 cup Parsley
2 tsp lime juice
Crust
1 portion of sourdough pizza dough check posting for 7/7/09 or pre-made crust
1 1/2 tsp Parmesan
1 1/2 tsp Romano
3 cloves garlic (minced, about 2 tbsp)
Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced, about 1 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp lime juice
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Tossing dough
What works best for me is I strongly throw the ball of dough down on a solid flat surface covered with a piece of wax paper until it is large and flat enough for me to easily balance on top of both of my fists. Then I make an X with my arms keeping my fists close together (backhand to back hand, the dough atop of them both) and I fling the dough upwards with my fingers as I simultaneously bring my arms quickly parallel (palm to palm) about 3-4 inches apart. As the dough falls I remake my fists and catch the dough atop them again in the X position and repeat until the dough has formed a 12-14 inch crust.(Alternately you can lay dough on a solid flat surface covered with wax paper and squish flat with hands. Roll into a ball and slam the dough down onto your solid flat surface covered with a piece of wax paper. Using your fist mush the dough down repeatedly as if you were punching it softly but firmly (this helps get any air bubbles out of it.) Now using your finger tips press and stretch dough until you have formed a 12-14 inch circular pizza skin (you can also make an easier rectangle skin.)
Pizza
Sprinkle corn meal onto a baking sheet and lay skin on to it. Use a basting brush coat the crust heavily with the olive oil sauce. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over sauce and then spread out your slices of tomato and then sprinkle onions over pizza. Finally sprinkle Fontina and Parmesan Reggiano over pizza.
Place pizza on baking sheet lightly coated with corn meal.
Arrange your oven racks to where they are on the upper and lower thirds of the oven. If you are using a baking stone as we do place it directly onto the floor of a preheated oven for 45 minutes (but you will be less likely to ruin your pizza stone if you place it on a rack at its lowest position.) Place baking sheet with pizza on the lower oven rack and bake for 7-10 minutes, move pizza on baking sheet to upper rack and bake 7-10 minutes (if cooking a second pizza you can put it on the lower rack now on a separate baking sheet.) Slide Pizza off of baking sheet directly onto baking stone and cook for 3-8 minutes or until crisp and bottom is browning (if you were cooking a second pizza you would move it to the top rack on its baking sheet once you slide the first pizza onto the baking stone and of course you would move it to the baking stone once you have remove the first pizza and cooked the second one 7-10 minutes on the upper rack.)
Slide pizza onto a cutting board or baking sheet. Evenly spread out your Arugula and parsley over the pizza. Drizzle with lime juice and use a pizza slicer to cut into 8-10 slices. Serve hot with your favorite pizza sides, seasonings and sauces!
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