I had made pizza dough (with my Mom) in years past but decided that any cook from Italian descent MUST know how to make a proper pizza dough.  Since I have been heavily relying on frozen pizza dough in the last couple of years, I figured it was time to learn (and eventually) perfect this technique. 

I turned to Martha Stewart’s recipe book ‘The Original Classics’ for a standard, run-of-the-mill pizza dough recipe.  WRONG choice and should have just called up my Mom (as I often do for most recipes/cooking tips), as Martha (or her editors of this lumpy, commercial cookbook) forgot to leave out the MOST important step of the process, the 8-10 minute kneading process!  SIGH.  So after literally 3 failed attempts over 2 evenings, I figured it was time to consult my Mom and some fancy You Tube videos.  I noticed that after you “mix” the ingredients together that EVERYONE on earth kneaded their dough for at least 5-8 minutes.  No where in Martha’s recipe does she instruct to knead and perhaps this should be a given, but if you’ve only made pizza dough from scratch a handful of times in your life, how could you know?  The recipe basically instructs you to mix the ingredients together and then let the dough sit and rise – which I did – and was left with a sticky, chunky uneven mess each time.  It was a catastrophe and very good lesson.  Sorry to slander you Martha as I am a big fan (and not ashamed to admit it), but a simple editing error like this in a cookbook can really set a girl back!  I won’t show you my failed attempts, let’s just say I finally got the hang of it after multiple tries. 

I recently purchased a fancy-pants cuisinart food processor that I adore so I try to use it as much as humanly possible.  It shreds and slices up vegetables beautifully.  Paper thin and gorgeous…

My affection for taleggio cheese began in a small wine bar in Hell’s Kitchen that I adore called Casellula.  I lived in the neighborhood for a short year and this wine and cheese bar was one of my favorite go-to spots in area.  They have a plentiful selection of refined cheeses, meats and small plates – just my kind of place.  I was first introduced to taleggio there and was smitten from the start.  Taleggio is miraculous on pizza and while the texture is sticky and soft (making it difficult to cut) when cold, it melts perfectly.  The cheese tastes a bit like mushrooms itself so makes the perfect complement to any mushroom za.  It is mild, earthy, nutty and slightly fruity.  Yum…

~Recipe ~

1 cup warm water (110 Degrees F)

1/4 Tsp Sugar

1 packet of dry, active yeast (or 2 teaspoons)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tsp salt

1/2 tablespoons olive oil, + more for the bowl

‘Topping:

4-5 ounces of Taleggio Cheese

1 pint of white mushrooms

Parmesean Cheese to sprinkle

Pinch of salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

White Truffle Oil

Begin by mixing the yeast, sugar and cup of water (lightly stirring with a fork until dissolved) and let sit for about 10 minutes (if the yeast does not become bubbly and foamy discard as your yeast is probably outdated and inactive).  While yeast festers, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl.  Add dissolved yeast and olive oil to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until lightly packed together.  Empty the contents (Even if some dough is still loose) onto a counter space for – that’s right – KNEADING.  Work the dough for about 8-10 minutes and it should form a smooth ball (for kneading techniques I would consult You Tube or watch someone do it correctly if you have the privilege).  After the ball has been smoothed, add just enough olive oil to cover a large round bowl.  Place the dough into the bowl (make sure you brush the top of the dough ball with olive oil as well so it does not get crusty on the top) and cover with saran wrap.  If all goes well, the dough should rise nicely in about 60-90 minutes or until the dough is about double the original size…

Next cut the dough in half (or leave as is if you want a large pizza), lightly flour your rolling surface, and roll into smaller balls for the second rising period (about 10 kneads into a ball, you don’t need to knead for a prolonged period this time).  Place dough balls onto a cutting board and cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap.  Let sit for another 60-90 minutes or until the dough rises to about 1 and a half times the size.

During the rising period(s), you can prepare the toppings.  In addition, if you have a pizza stone you might want to place it into the oven at this point and turn the oven on to 500 degrees F.  If you are using a baking sheet this step is not necessary, although you should preheat the oven at least 30 minutes before your dough is done rising. 

Back to the toppings…removing the rind, slice the cheese as thinly as possible and set aside.  Place mushrooms in food prosessor and transfer contents to a large mixing bowl.  I  like to toss the mushrooms lightly with a little olive oil, salt, and of course, cracked pepper. You will sprinkle the truffle oil on the pizza after it is cooked.

After the second rising period your dough should be ready for action.  First, sprinkle corn meal onto your peel (or baking sheet) so that the dough does not stick.  Pinch the sides of the dough ball into a crust and pull the dough (it should be nice and elastic-y) until it forms a nice rounded pie.  Place onto your peel and add the toppings.  I like to first brush the dough with a bit of olive oil first and lightly sprinkle some parmesean cheese.  I then coat the pizza with mushrooms and add taleggio on top.  At this point your oven should be piping hot so don’t forget to put your oven mitts on!  Slide the pizza onto the stone (it should slide off easily) or place your pizza on the baking sheet and into the oven.  Let it cook for only 10 minutes for crispy crust or 6-8 minutes for softer crust (I like mine crispy).  The last step is easy, just sprinkle truffle oil onto the pizza and a bit more of the parm…and marvel at your accomplishemnt…homemade restaurant style pizza that has a bit of artisan flair to it right in your very own home!