Roasted Radicchio Pizza
Photo by Claudia Alexander
Bitter greens like chicory have been really abundant this winter and I have been eating all kinds of them. Escarole, endive, arugula, radicchio—all in the chicory family—are not only winter crops but also spring ones, especially here in the north western part of the country. The different varieties are so versatile you can eat them raw in a salad, added to a soup, or grilled in a cheese sandwich. (Chicory can even be made into a coffee substitute.) Recently I have been enjoying them roasted on a pizza, and these past couple of months I’ve been obsessed with making pizza.
This started when my husband took a bite of some pizza I had made and said "wow”. He has never been a pizza fan (“too greasy, too much cheese, too doughy”) but I love pizza and “wow” was all the encouragement I needed—a challenge even. I was ready. Immediately I plotted my next move to change his mind and have more pizza in our lives.
My go-to recipe for the dough is from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. The master recipe for the pizza dough is a springboard—once you make the dough you will never buy store bought dough again. You will need a food grade clear plastic container ; also a scale really helps although it's not strictly necessary. Both are relatively inexpensive and will make the whole process go much more smoothly. This recipe not only makes enough dough for 4 -6 pizzas; you can take out just what you need for the night and save the rest for later. To put the ingredients into the container and mix them takes literally five minutes; then the dough keeps in the fridge for 8 days. Make sure to plan your first pizza night because the dough has to rest in the fridge for 24 hours before it is ready to bake.
NOTE: When you get the plastic container, either drill a couple of small holes in the lid to let the air flow through or leave the lid slightly ajar for the first couple of days.
A pizza stone is great to have but not necessary to get a crisp pizza. A cast iron skillet or a baking sheet will do just as well.
Photo by Claudia Alexander
Dough Ingredients:
Lukewarm water 3 ½ cups (800 grams) about 100° (2 cups boiling water 1 ½ cups cold water)
Kosher Salt 1½ tablespoons (21 grams)
Yeast (not instant) 1 tablespoon (10 grams)
All-purpose flour 7 ½ cups 1080 grams
Toppings:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
½ cup marinara sauce
¾ to a cup of thinly sliced radicchio
2-3 oz. diced pancetta (optional)
½ cup of blue cheese, Gorgonzola, or Stilton
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
¼ cup of pine nuts
Put the water, salt, and yeast in the container first. Next add the flour all at once and combine either with a wooden spoon or your hands (wet them first). You want the flour completely incorporated so that there is no liquid left. It should be sticky. Do not knead. Put the lid on and leave the container on the counter for 2 hours. (See NOTE above.) You will see bubbles start to form. After two hours place the container in the refrigerator overnight. The dough will be ready the next day.
Preheat oven 30 minutes prior to baking your pizza. Put a pizza stone in the oven (if using- see NOTE above) and preheat oven to 475°.
Gather your toppings. 15 minutes before you put your pizza in the oven, cut off a large grapefruit-sized piece of dough. Place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a ball. Let it rest for five minutes. Now roll out the dough to a 10-12" round. If it still resists, let it rest a bit longer. Sprinkle the pizza pan with cornmeal and put the round on top. Brush the surface with the olive oil, then with the marinara, following with the radicchio, Pancetta, blue cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Do not put the nuts on the pizza yet. They burn easily and are bitter if overcooked. Cook the pizza for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown. 4 minutes before you take the pizza out of the oven, add the pine nuts over the top, spreading them evenly. Continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Photo by: Claudia Alexander