BEET CRUST PIZZA WITH GOAT CHEESE and HEIRLOOM TOMATOES w/ PESTO
YIELD: Yields 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
Crust (makes two 12 inch crust)
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoon active-dry
- 17 ouncesunbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¾ cup pureed beets (about 2 large beets, roasted and peeled)
Topping
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 10-12 stalks of asparagus, trimmed, blanched and then tossed in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper
- 3 soft boiled eggs, sliced
- 1 roasted beet, sliced
- 4 oz. mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 3-4 tablespoons pesto (optional)
- 1 handful of watercress (optional)
Directions:
To make crust:
Preparation: Place pizza stone on lower middle rack. Heat oven to 500° F.
- Combine and stir water and yeast in a mixing bowl until mixture resembles miso soup. Add flour salt, honey and pureed beets to yeast mixture and combine until dough just comes together.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until the flour is incorporated, about 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. The dough should be moist and slightly tacky. (If it’s sticky, add in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth). Form dough into a ball. Lightly oil a bowl and place dough in, turning once to coat dough with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area to double in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Once doubled evenly divide dough in half and refrigerate one half for another time or double the topping recipe to make two 12 inch pizzas.
- Lightly grease a sheet of parchment paper with olive oil. Transfer one ball of dough to parchment and stretch it out by hand as much as possible. Lightly brush olive oil on another piece of parchment paper and place it on top of hand-flattened dough. Use a rolling pin and work from the middle of the dough outward to flatten dough to ¼ inch thickness. Peel off top parchment paper.
Note: Dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to three days.
