Mushroom & Potato Pizza

3 ½ hours total – makes 2 medium pizzas

½ cup extra olive oil, plus more as needed

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 cups fontina, diced (12 oz)

1 ½ cups fresh ricotta (12 oz)

4 cups mixed fresh wild mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced

2 potatoes, scrubbed clean and thinly sliced

optional: 4 eggs

whole wheat pizza dough (see below)

1. Prepare pizza dough the morning before you plan to make your pizzas. Divide dough into three rounds, save one for another time as this recipe is for two pizzas.

2. Place pizza stone (once I pay off all my grad school tuition) or baking sheet  (that’s more like it) on the lowest oven rack. Preheat oven to 500ºF and let the stone get very hot.

3. In a small bowl, combine the oil and garlic.

4. Form pizza crust. For the next steps, divide ingredients among the two pizzas. Spread the Parmesan and fontina on each dough round, then crumble a quarter of the ricotta over the top. Scatter the mushrooms and then the potato slices over the cheese. Drizzle the garlic oil all over each pizza and season with salt.

5. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the crust is browned and crisp, the cheese is melted, and the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Grind pepper over each pizza.

Optional: while the pizza bakes, heat a little oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Crack 1 egg into the skillet, lightly season with salt and pepper and cook, sunny side up until the white is just set and the yolk is runny. Repeat with other three eggs. Slide two eggs onto each pie.

whole wheat pizza dough

(makes 3 medium pizzas, save last dough round for later)

½ cup warm water (about 110ºF)

1 envelope (about 2 ¼ teaspoons) instant yeast

1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups (11 oz) bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface and hands

2 cups (11 oz) whole wheat flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

olive oil for oiling the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine (you can also do this in a stand mixer or by hand).  Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.

3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough in a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 2-2 ½ hours. Press the dough to deflate.

pizza topping modified from a jean-georges vongerichten recipe. pizza dough recipe from the new best recipe