Asparagus and mushroom pizza
Instructions:
- 3 cups unbleached bread flour
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1â„4 cup fine yellow cornmeal (polenta)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of unrefined granulated sugar
- 1 package quick-rising active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1â„2 cups warm water
- For the toPPing
- 4oz (115g) thin asparagus spears, trimmed and halved lengthwise Olive oil
- 4 cups sliced assorted mushrooms (have fun—use shiitakes, maitakes, chanterelles, portabellos, and even cultivated white mushrooms )
- 2 large shallots or 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 cup shredded Savoy cabbage
- 1 cup shredded Manchego cheese
- 1 cup shredded Asiago or other melting cheese (such as Swiss)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or basil leaves
- 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- First make the dough. Mix the flours with the cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Stir in the yeast. Add the oil and then the water and mix to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Place in an oiled plastic bag and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Alternatively, put all the ingredients in a food processor or electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and run the machine until a ball of dough forms. Run it for 1 minute longer, to knead the dough. Wrap and let rise.
- Punch down the dough and knead briefly until smooth. Divide into four balls. Put each ball on an oiled baking sheet and press out with your fingers to stretch evenly to a round about 8in (20cm) in diameter. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Heat a ridged cast-iron grill pan. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and pan-grill, turning once, until bright green, slashed with brown, and just tender, about 4 minutes. Cut in short lengths on the bias and set aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pan and sauté the mushrooms until softened, 1–2 minutes. Remove from the pan. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan and sauté the shallots and cabbage, stirring, until they are softening slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Top the risen pizza bases with the cheeses, then the mushrooms, then the asparagus, and then the cabbage and shallot. Sprinkle with half the herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a sprinkling of salt and a grinding of pepper. Bake until the crust is golden around the edges and crisp underneath, about 20 minutes. If necessary, swap the sheets halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs before serving.
- For wood-grilled pizzas, shape your dough into four pieces and let rise, then place on the hot (not too hot) side of the open kettle grill. Cook for about 2 minutes. Brush with olive oil and season before turning over to the other side. Add the toppings. Lower the heat (close the vents or move the pizzas to a cooler part of the grill), close the lid, and cook until the topping is hot throughout and the cheeses have melted, about 5 minutes.