10.20.2007

Whole Wheat Pizza, Two Ways

We wanted something easy to serve to a few friends before heading out to a concert, and you can't get any more classically collegiate than pizza and beer.

But, in typical Als fashion, we couldn't let it be that easy. We decided to make our own whole wheat crust, and settled on two varieties: mushroom leek and sun-dried tomato with fresh basil and pesto. We found the crust recipe online at All Recipes, and though we had doubts about our ability to pull it off, the dough came out great. Our only regret was that we perhaps did not knead it enough. Still, came out nicely chewy, and the whole-wheatness did not overpower the toppings at all.

Also, though both were yummy, the sun-dried tomato version was the superior pie. We used our own homemade pesto that we had frozen a few weeks ago. So if you have to choose one, that's it.

Ingredients (Sun-dried Tomato and Fresh Basil Pizza with Pesto):
pizza dough (enough for 2 pies)
1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups basil, chopped
1/2 cup pesto
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (so good fresh from the market!)
tomato sauce

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425. Stretch and flatten the dough over a large pan. Spread tomato sauce over the dough, leaving about an inch around the edges. Sprinkle cheese, and top with basil and tomatoes. Drop dollops of pesto across. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until lightly brown.

Ingredients (Mushroom and Leek Pizza):
pizza dough (enough for 2 pies)
1 1/2 cups mushrooms
1 1/2 cups leeks
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
tomato sauce
olive oil

Instructions:
Cook leeks in about 1 tbsp of olive in a large pan, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another two. Spread tomato sauce over the dough, leaving about an inch around the edges. Sprinkle cheese, and top with mushroom/leek mixture. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until lightly brown.