If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be pizza, hands down.
And I don’t discriminate. I love it all- thick crust, thin crust, even deep dish. [But there will always be a special place in my heart for this place.]
I’ll admit, I usually don’t make it at home, but oh man, this newest recipe is GOOD!
I picked up some pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joe’s (it’s such a good deal, only ~$1.25/ball!), and decided to get creative.
Homemade pizza + wine + salad + a movie = a great Friday night!
So basically, this entire pizza was made with ingredients from Trader Joe’s 🙂
After grabbing the ball of dough, I also picked up some Quattro Formaggio shredded cheese blend (a blend of parmesan, asiago, fontina, and provolone cheeses), some beautiful high-lycopene tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and garlic oil.
The goal was to make a “pizza blanca” (aka a pizza without red sauce).
Instead of making a creamy white sauce, I decided to brush the entire pizza dough with garlic oil to basically give it garlic bread crust, then topped it with sharp cheeses that could hold their own, fresh juicy sweet tomatoes, and some minced rosemary for a pop of delicious flavor.
The secret to crispy golden pizza at home is HIGH heat.
Like, as high as your oven will go. That allows the crust to puff up and cook quickly & lets the cheese melt & get gooey and lightly browned, without overcooking the fresh tomatoes.
It only takes about 10 minutes in a hot oven to achieve pizza perfection. YUM!
Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing, then serve with a simple salad, fresh fruit, & a nice glass of wine. Easy, fresh, and delicious.
- 16 oz refrigerated pizza dough (I used Trader Joe’s)
- All purpose flour, for dusting
- A drizzle of regular olive oil
- Generous drizzle of garlic oil (also from Trader Joe’s- don’t skip this!!)
- 6 oz Quattro Formaggio shredded cheese blend (from Trader Joe’s) or a blend of parmesan, asiago, fontina, and provolone cheeses
- 4 or 5 cocktail tomatoes, thinly sliced (I used Trader Joe’s high lycopene tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- Sprinkle of flaky sea salt (I use Maldon)
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Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it goes (mine goes up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit).
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Sprinkle some flour on a large cutting board or work surface & lightly flour your hands. Place the pizza dough on the surface & use a floured rolling pin and/or your hands to stretch the dough out into a large circle or rectangle.
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Drizzle some regular olive oil on a large baking sheet & spread to coat evenly. Place the dough on the oiled baking sheet & use your hands to spread the dough to the shape/size you desire. It should fill a good portion of the baking sheet.
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Brush the pizza dough all over with garlic oil, then top with the shredded cheese. Evenly layer with the fresh tomato slices, then sprinkle with minced rosemary.
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Place the pizza in the oven & bake for 8-12 minutes (exact times will vary from oven to oven), until the crust is crisp & golden & the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt, and drizzle lightly with more garlic oil. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into slices & serve.
Looks great. Homemade pizza is awesome because you can bake it to crispy perfection, thanks for the idea