I’ve been on a bit of a pizza kick lately. We have a little brick oven bakery close to us that has the most amazing pizzas ever on the most delicious crisp whole-wheat crust. And since we can’t exactly afford to go there daily, my kitchen has sort of turned into a pizzeria. My biggest challenge has been the crust. After trying recipe after recipe and being let down over the bland, chewy crust, I think I’ve finally found the perfect one. I prefer a light and crisp crust, so for me, this one hit the nail on the head. I topped it with a pesto base along with left over veggies and cheeses I had from the market last weekend (I’m currently trying to clean out my fridge before heading out of town!). We went a little on the lighter side with the toppings, so that we wouldn’t weigh down the crust too much. Alongside a salad, It was a perfect and simple dinner for two, and we have leftovers for lunch today. Woohoo!

We are headed out of town this weekend to celebrate Clif’s sister Evelyn’s wedding, which happens to also be Clif and my 3rd wedding anniversary. Celebrations all around! Can’t wait to soak up family time and celebrate a weekend full of love. This will probably be the last big trip we take before the baby arrives, so we’ll enjoy the long car ride with just the two of us while we can.:) Talk to you next week!

 

Ingredients

for crust:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (i used half whole wheat/half AP)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

topping:

1 cup grated mozzerella
3 ounces goat cheese
3 tablespoons of your favorite basil pesto
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 cup loosely packed chopped arugula (or your favorite green)
olive oil, for drizzling
fresh cracked pepper

 

Directions

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about two minutes and form into a ball once again. Lightly oil the bowl that you used to mix the dough in, and place dough back into bowl, turning to coat all sides of the ball. Cover and leave in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Place dough back onto the floured counter, and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Form a small disk shape, then allow dough to rest for 20 more minutes, covered.

Pre-heat oven to 550 degrees F, and if using, place pizza stone into pre-heating oven so that it stays warm.

Roll out the pizza to about a quarter inch thickness, and spread pesto base. Top with cheeses, sliced tomato and arugula. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper. Place onto pizza pan or stone and bake for 10-12 minutes, watching closely, until it’s crisp, lightly browned and blistered.

Crust recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Yields 2-3 servings.