Cooking for Zo

Taste Level: GR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 40-45 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 2

I have been working on a pizza menu for our bakery we fantasize about having one day. I wanted to make a pizza for mushroom lovers out their like myself. Right away I knew I was going to call it the "Fungi" or "FUN-Guy." I settled on "Fungi" and then worked on this pizzas toppings, sauce and cheeses to use for about a month before I settled on this mushroom masterpiece. I have to admit I wanted to add pepperoni before I took my first bite. Pepperoni and Mushroom pizza is my favorite but I restrained myself and I am glad I did because this pizza was great just the way it was.

(For instructions on how to make your own sourdough pizza skin check posting dated 7/7/09.)

Ingredients:
Toppings
1/2 cup Button (sliced)
1/2 cup Crimini (sliced)
1/2 cup Shiitake (sliced
2 portabellinis (sliced, 1 portobello can be substituted)
10 oz Fresh Mozzarella (shredded)
3 tbsp Smoked Fontinia (shredded)
3 tbsp Smoked Swiss (shredded)
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp Parmesan
1/4 tsp Romano
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Sauce
1 1/4 tsp fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 tsp fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp white truffle oil

Crust
1 portion of sourdough pizza dough check posting for 7/7/09 or pre-made crust

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.)

Sauce
In a small bowl use a whisk to vigorously mix sauce ingredients.

Pizza
Sprinkle corn meal onto a baking sheet and lay skin on to it. Use a basting brush to coat the crust with the sauce. Evenly cover sauce with mozzarella and layout mushrooms in your desired way. Sprinkle fontina over mushrooms, Swiss over Fontina and then garlic powder and tarragon over swiss. Finally sprinkle Parmesan and Romano 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 and use a pizza slicer to cut into 8-10 slices and serve hot with your favorite pizza sides, seasonings and sauces!