While the brick oven at the bakery is on the job all week, on Sundays we turn it over to our personal use. We always look forward to the first day that most of Sunday lunch – pizzas – come from our garden.
We only use natural starters for our breads, but for pizza dough I do use yeast for the quick rise I get in the oven. I keep the dough very wet and mix it only till it holds together. I vary the flours depending on my toppings, but, in general, I use a basic King Arthur type all-purpose, unbleached white.
Basic Pizza
2 cups lukewarm water
1 package dry yeast
3 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Cornmeal or oil for pan
Optional: pizza stone, parchment paper
Preheat oven to 425°. Place lukewarm water in a large bowl and add dry yeast. When dissolved, add flour and salt. Mix well till combined, and there are no clumps of dry flour. Cover and let rise for 2 hours. It should be wettish, puffy, and bubbly. Scrape out onto floured table or board. Cut into 2 or 3 pieces, and with floured hands, shape and flatten into discs – the size doesn’t matter because you’re just letting it rest for 10 or 15 minutes till you stretch, flatten and work it into its final shape (It will be somewhat uneven and freeform.). Get your hands under it, and place it on an oiled sheet pan. If you have a pizza stone, put dough a cornmeal strewn piece of parchment paper(recommended) or a heavily laden pizza peel. Smear dough with tomato sauce and some mozzarella and one of the four toppings below. Then bake the pizza for 10 minutes or so, and enjoy.
Pesto topping
The pesto pizza is basic but everyone seems to like it. Cook the pizza very light on the cheese, take it out, drizzle with your favorite pesto, and cook 30 seconds more. The pesto should be warmed but not cooked.
Garlic and Greens topping
Pizza with greens is a must whenever we have pizza, and is also surprisingly well received, even by people who don’t think they like greens. It’s simple. Turnip greens, beet greens, chard leaves, and lambs quarters ( a common garden “weed” that I like better than a lot of stuff I grow on purpose) are cooked till tender. I leave the golf ball sized turnips and beets on the greens for a textural and taste bonus. I squeeze out excess water, chop coarsely, and then toss in a pan with olive oil and softened garlic. A
dose of crushed red pepper is a good idea.
Snap Peas, Prosciutto, and Capers topping
Snap peas, prosciutto, and capers are a great combo. I cook the peas, prosciutto, and purslane (another garden “weed” I like and encourage) in a knob of butter, splash a little water, cover, cook till peas are a desirable tenderness, and scatter over pizza with a few capers. If you don’t have capers, serve with lemon wedges to be squeezed over hot slices.
Spinach, Chard Stem, Onions, and Pancetta topping
The chard stem pizza is wonderfully earthy and somewhat autumnal. It worked because it was a cool rainy day, plus I couldn’t think of anything else to do with the pile of stems. Toss chard, spinach, and lambs quarter stems cut into 1-inch pieces and blanched, into a chopped onion softened in rendered pancetta that’s been cut into little squares. Top the pizza with it, and when almost cooked, add a few slices of real fontina, or taleggio if you’re feeling brave.
Mark Mickalide is the baker-owner of Black Crow Bakery in Litchfield.
