Margarita Pizza
This is a slight twist on a margarita pizza. Pretty traditional, but with a few additions, yummy ones! I’ve added oven roasted grape tomatoes, roasted garlic, and (if you haven’t noticed what appears to be a staple on half of my blog posts) goat cheese. It was delicious and I ate it like a fat kid!
(This recipe makes 2 pizzas)
For the crust:
2 packets yeast
4 cups bread flour
1 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tsp Salt
3 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups warm water
Cornmeal, granulated garlic, olive oil and salt for dusting
For the pizza:
16 oz of fresh mozzarella
10 oz package of grape tomatoes
4 Roma Tomatoes
2 heads of garlic
(2) 3/4 oz packages of basil
8 oz goat cheese
Balsamic Vinegar
Making the crust:
Get the crust going about 6 hours before you plan on cooking the pizza. I have tried letting it sit over night and cooking it right away as well. Your best window for chewy, yeasty pizza dough is around 5 hours or so before cook time.
1. Put the warm water, the yeast packets and the sugar into a mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 10 min. This mixture should begin to get frothy in appearance. If it doesn’t, you need new yeast.
2. Mix in the bread flour, salt and olive oil. If you have a Kitchen aid Stand Mixer, your life is going to be a heck of a lot easier. If not, you’re going to be kneading dough for about 10 minutes.
(The dough should be tacky but not wet. It should also be smooth. The dough will begin to climb the dough hook, this is a good sign.
3. Remove the dough, grease the bowl, replace the dough and cover with Saran Wrap and a dish towel. You will have to knead the dough down about 3 times during its rest time.
Roasting the Grape Tomatoes and Garlic:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Halve the grape tomatoes and lay onto a cookie sheet and/or silicone liner. Lightly drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You may also dust with salt and pepper if you chose.
3. Place them in the oven for roughly 20-25 minutes.
4. While the tomatoes are roasting, prep your garlic but cutting the tops off of the garlic heads so that the cloves are all exposed. Place them on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
5. Close the foil packets so that they envelope the garlic.
6. Go ahead and put them in the oven right along with the grape tomatoes.
7. The garlic cloves should stay in for a total of 20-25 minutes as well.
8. You can set these aside until you’re ready to assemble the pizza.
Making the Pizza:
1. Prep your ingredients. If your mozzarella is a log, cut it into 1/4" thick medallions. Slice your Roma tomatoes into 1/4" thick medallions as well. Mince the basil and crumble the goat cheese.
2. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
3. Separate the dough into two balls.
4. Sprinkle flour onto your cutting board or counter top to roll out the dough. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough as well; and roll out till it is approximately the size of your pizza pan/stone.
5. If you’re using a pan, grease it. If you’re using a stone, leave it be. Place the dough on the cooking device of choice.
6. Drizzle the dough with a few tbs of olive oil and spread it evenly throughout the crust. Dust the crust with salt and granulated garlic. If you have cornmeal, dust the crust with it as well. I don’t know why, but it makes a huge difference!
Separate your ingredients in half... since this recipe makes 2 pizzas!!!!
7. Lay down the fresh mozzarella and the Roma tomatoes evenly throughout the dough. (I like to press my Roma tomatoes in paper towels since the water in the tomatoes will cook off in the oven. You don’t want that dampening your crust.
8. Sprinkle the roasted garlic, the goat cheese and the oven roasted grape tomatoes on your pizza next.
9. Place the pizza in the oven for approximately 12 minutes.
10. Sprinkle with the basil and you’re ready to go.
11. If your fine motor skills and control of hand are top notch, you can even drizzle a little bit of balsamic on the top. But seriously, don’t drown it and ruin all your beautiful work.
12. Okay, cut the pizza then eat.
