Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Pizza Experiment

Grilled Mexican Pizza with Poblano Peppers
Prepared pizza dough
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese blend
1 lb. marinated and gilled fajita steak, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup Fresh pico de gallo
1 to 2 poblano chile peppers, roasted

To roast peppers: Grill peppers over an open flame, turning them using a long-handled fork, until skins are blackened, about five minutes. Place peppers to a bowl and cover until cool. While wearing rubber gloves, peel whole peppers. Cut off tops and clean out seeds and ribs. Chop coarsely.

Prepare grill to medium heat. Roll out dough to desired size and thickness then lightly brush with olive oil. Oil grill rack and, before it gets too soft, carefully transfer the dough to the rack of the grill, oiled side down. Lightly brush top with more oil. Grill crust in a covered grill until underside is brown, about four minutes. Flip crust over with two metal spatulas. Top first with cheese then other ingredients. Grill pizza, covered, until cheese is melted and underside is lightly browned.

Italian Sausage and Pancetta
Prepared pizza dough
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Fontina cheese
6 slices pancetta
2 link sweet Italian sausage
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Chop Italian sausage coarsely and brown in a skillet over medium heat. Drain and set aside. Top crust with half of Fontina cheese. Top cheese with pancetta, sausage, mushrooms, and green onions. Sprinkle remainder of cheese over the pizza and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese has melted. Slice and serve.

Smoked Salmon Pizza with Dill Cream
Prepared pizza dough
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into squares

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough out into a 10-inch round. Transfer dough to baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake the crust for 6 to 8 minutes and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, cream cheese, dill, onion and lemon juice. Spread the dill mixture over the top of the crust, leaving an inch around the edges bare. Top the cream with salmon, covering the surface. Sprinkle the pizza with capers and cracked black pepper, if desired. Slice in small squares, chill and serve as hors d’oeuvres.
Basic Pizza Dough
3/4 cup hot tap water
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar

In a small bowl, stir water and yeast together until yeast is dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and sugar together. Add yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Coat another large bowl with olive oil and add ball of dough. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl and place in a warm place to allow the dough to rise until it has roughly doubled in size, about one hour. On a lightly floured surface flatten dough with your hands, cut dough in half, and roll each half into a ball. Dust tops of balls with flour. Cover each ball with a clean towel and let dough rise again in a warm place until doubled in size. Makes enough dough for two 9-inch pizzas.