Three Classic Gourmet Pizza Recipes

The theme of this week is Italian. Immediately I thought about the beautiful gourmet pizza we have been making at home. We have made so many tasty flavours it was difficult to decide on just a few to make this week. I need not have worried too much as I have made these pizzas three times without taking any photographs!

Each time I have made them with different toppings, just as I am ready to photograph the pizza something has happened to stop me. Either it is well past meal time and the family is looking for dinner, or I just run out of time. Luckily pizza’s are very easy to make!

I am going to admit that I have been a bit slack. The dough hasn’t been hand kneaded. Making beautiful pizza is simple with a bread maker! I love my bread maker! It gets used most days. I make my pizza dough at the start of the day just by throwing the ingredients in and letting it do its’ thing, no kneading or warming and proofing, it is all automatic.

For my final attempt at making, and photographing my gourmet pizza, I was lent this fantastic Gourmet Pizza book by some friends. It has the best topping suggestions.

Finally, I have completed the pizzas and made the following flavours; Pumpkin and Goats Cheese with Thyme, Pesto, Spinach and Feta with Sundried Tomato, Garlic and Olive Bread, and for dessert a sweet Mixed Berry & Mascarpone Calzone.

The pizza were all absolutely delicious, maybe the best yet. The Mixed Berry Calzone is the nicest dessert I have tasted in a long time! Who would have thought a dessert pizza could be so yummy.

Gourmet Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 500gm Bakers Flour
• 10gm yeast
• 5gm sugar
• 5gm salt
• 310 ml warm water
• 20ml oil

Method:

1. Throw all the ingredients into a bread maker and come back to it when the machine finishes. Too easy!
2. Lightly oil 4 pizza trays 2 x 20cm diameter and 2 x 25cm diameter.
3. Divide the dough into four balls. Two balls should weigh 170gm each and the other two dough balls should weigh 240gm.
4. Flatten the dough ball into the pizza trays (170gm for 20cm tray) and allow to proof again. Once they have proofed as desired they can be refrigerated for later use or topped with fillings immediately.

Garlic & Olive Bread

• 1 x 170gm pizza dough ball
• 20 gm melted butter
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• ¼ Spanish Onion sliced
• fresh Rosemary Sprig
• 6 Olives

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250C/480F with a pizza stone in place.
2. Using 170gm ball of dough press into a 20cm pizza pan and allow to proof as desired. Brush the dough liberally with melted butter.
3. Add crushed garlic evenly over the pizza and then add the onion and rosemary.
4. Dot the pizza with the six olives.
5. Bake in the oven for 7- 10 minutes, checking regularly.
6. Remove the pizza from the oven and pour remaining butter over the pizza to serve.

Pumpkin & Goats Cheese with Thyme

• 1 x 240gm pizza dough ball
• 1 T/s tomato paste
• 50 gm grated cheese
• 15 x 2 cm cubes of roasted pumpkin
• 45 gm goats cheese
• ¼ Spanish onion slices
• 5 thyme sprigs

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250C/480F with a pizza stone in place.
2. Line a baking tray with paper. Chop the pumpkin into 2 cm cubes and spray with oil, place on tray and bake until just soft.
3. Using 240gm ball of dough press into a 25cm pizza pan and allow to proof as desired.
4. Spread the tomato paste over the pizza leaving a 1cm rim around the edge without paste or fillings.
5. Add the grated cheese evenly to the pizza.
6. Dot the pizza with the roasted pumpkin and Spanish onion slices. Break the goat’s cheese into even pieces and scatter over the pizza.
7. Top the pizza with sprigs of thyme, ensuring any woody stems are removed.
8. Bake in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes, checking regularly.
9. Remove the pizza from the oven and serve immediately.

Pesto Spinach & Feta with Sundried Tomato

• 1 x 240gm pizza dough ball
• 1 T/s tomato paste
• 50 gm grated cheese
• 3 small silver beet leaves chopped
• ¼ Spanish onion
• 50 gm feta cubed
• 10 x semi dried tomato
• 40 gm pesto

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250C/480F with a pizza stone in place.
2. Using 240gm ball of dough press into a 25cm pizza pan and allow to proof as desired.
3. Spread the tomato paste over the pizza leaving a 1cm rim around the edge without paste or fillings.
4. Add the chopped raw spinach to the pizza and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the spinach.
5. Add the onion, feta and sundried tomato to the pizza ensuring the toppings are evenly distributed.
6. With a teaspoon dot the pesto in little dollops over the pizza.
7. Bake in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes, checking regularly.
8. Remove the pizza from the oven and serve immediately.

Pizza has become part of our outdoor way of life. I am looking forward to the Spring and Summer weather when enjoy sitting outside with a bottle of wine in the company of friends. Instead of these get together being all about the BBQ, our family is starting to alternate a bit more, and gourmet pizzas have been added to the menu.

With this in mind, I have been looking at pizza ovens lately and wondering what people have thought of theirs? What do you like about an outdoor pizza oven? Would you buy one?