Roasted Garlic Pizza

Don’t let the length of recipe intimate you.  There is added commentary within context.  Making homemade pizza is not difficult and well worth it. The topping recipe below is for one pizza.  If making the dough recipe below, you will have to triple the topping recipe or make several different kinds with various toppings.  Be creative!

• 1 large head of garlic
• cornmeal
• 1 c mozzarella, shredded
• ½ c parmesan cheese
• 2 t fresh oregano or 1 t dry

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Cut the top of whole head of garlic, place on a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap the foil around the garlic completely and roast for forty-five minutes.  Cool and press out the roasted cloves.

Increase oven to 400 degrees.

Follow dough recipe below.   Spread roasted garlic on pizza, top with cheeses and oregano.

Bake for twelve minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Through making homemade pizza, making dough with a finely ground flour, has resulted a better crust. Cake flour is one such flour.  Mixing caking flour with all purpose flour has proven to be a better dough. Pizza can be cut into small squares and served as a flat bread appetizer for parties or enjoyed as the more traditional round version.  The topping options are limitless, however  roasted garlic is one of my favorites.

• 3 c cake flour
• 3 c flour
• 1 c white wine
• 1 ¾ c warm water
• 1 package of yeast
• 2 t salt
• 2 T olive oil

In a large bowl, mix together both flours, wine, yeast, salt and olive oil.  Add the water, a little at a time, mixing to form a ball.  If necessary, add a little more water.

Lightly flour a board and knead the dough for five minutes until smooth.  When showing our Granddaugher how to make a bread dough, I placed her hand on the dough saying, “it has to feel like a babies bottom”.  

In another bowl, pour a little olive oil in a bowl, spreading the oil all over the inside of the bowl.   Place the dough in the bowl and flip to coat both sides.  Cover with a towel and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise to double in size.

Taking a piece of the dough at a time, place on a lightly floured board and press dough to about an inch thick, cover the pieces with a towel and rest for half an hour.   For a light crust, take one dough, place on a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal and use your fingers to push into shape.   Brush with olive oil and add toppings.