NOTE: This pizza is very different from the traditional red and meat combination. It has a wonderful pesto sauce topped with lots of cheeses and fresh tomato.
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough
2 (14-inch) pizza stones
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water, 110-degrees
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Put yeast in warm water and stir to dissolve, letting if foam up for 8 to 10 minutes. Mix the flour and salt together in large bowl. Add the yeast water a little at a time with small amounts of flour. Set to the side of bowl. Continue until all the water and flour have been used. Bring the flour together and form dough into a ball. Knead the dough 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and elastic. Pour olive oil over dough, turning to coat. Cover with towel and let rinse 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch dough down and let rest on counter for 15 minutes. On floured counter, roll the dough a little at a time, letting the dough rest before proceeding. Pizza dough can be stretched a little at a time without leaving holes in the dough if the dough can rest in intervals.
- Place the pizza on the stone and continue to roll or stretch until the circle is to the edge of the stone. Place cornmeal below the pizza dough and cover pizza with your favorite toppings, being careful not to make the pizza too wet or too dry.
- Bake pizza in hot oven for 15 to 18 minutes. The pizza should be golden brown underneath and the cheeses melted on top. Makes 2( 14-inch) pizzas.
White Pizza with Garlic Chicken, Spinach and Sun Dried Tomatoes.
1 large skinless chicken breasts, medium cut
Lawry's coarse garlic salt with dried parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup pesto sauce ( see recipe below)
5 slices provolone cheese from deli
Sautéed chicken strips
3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
3/4 cup baby portabella mushrooms, sliced thick
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut thin
Extra virgin olive
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves, torn, optional
- Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Make pizza dough as directed, or use your choice of ready made pizza dough. Sprinkle stone with cornmeal; place rolled dough over cornmeal to within 1/2-inch of stone.
- Rinse chicken in cool water. Place chicken on cutting board; slice chicken into thin strips, about 2-inches long. Sprinkle garlic on strips and sauté chicken in olive oil until no pink remains, about 3 to 4 minutes; set aside.
- Brush pizza with pesto sauce, covering pizza well. Lay the provolone cheese slices over the pesto sauce. Next, scatter on the sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. Next, add the mozzarella cheese, and scatter the crushed red pepper. Lastly, add the spinach leaves and top with slices of buffalo mozzarella cheese. Drizzle the spinach leaves with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- If possible, let the pizza set on counter for an hour before baking. This will allow the crust to continue to rise, and crust will be a little more crispy. Bake the pizza for about 15 to 18 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired. Makes 8 slices. Note: Double this recipe to make 2 pizzas.
Pesto Sauce
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, or walnuts
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
coarse ground black pepper to taste
- Wash basil leaves, pat dry and remove from stem. Measure out 2 cups basil leaves. Lightly toast pine nuts or walnuts in dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Place basil, toasted nuts, garlic and 1/2 cup olive in a blender. Pulse just until blended. Add remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and pulse about 5 seconds longer. Add cheese, salt and pepper; stir until blended. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
God Bless and have a great day.
