Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Dough:
1 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)
2 packages yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbs. olive oil
Pesto:
1 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbs. pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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1 onion, thinly sliced
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. water
1/2 lb. garlic and fennel sausage or sweet Italian sausage
3 oz. goat cheese
10 oz. Mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
2 tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbs. cornmeal
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Directions: |
Directions:Prepare dough: Dissolve yeast in water and set aside. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Make a "well" in the center, pour in yeast solution and olive oil. Blend in the flour using a fork, working towards the outside of the well. As dough becomes stiff, incorporate remaining flour by hand. Gather into a ball and knead eight to ten minutes on a floured board. Place in an oil-coated bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, approximately 2 hours.
Prepare pesto sauce using a blender or food processor. Combine all ingredients except cheese. Process but do not create a puree. Stir in cheese. Set aside.
Saute onions and peppers in one tbs. olive oil and water in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until peppers are soft. Drain and set aside. Brown sausage, breaking into pieces as it cooks. Drain off excess fat. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400º. Spread remaining olive oil evenly over a 12-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch down pizza dough, flatten lightly with a rolling pin, turn and flatten with fingers. Place dough in pan and spread to edges with fingertips. Bake 5 minutes. Spread pesto sauce over dough. Crumble goat cheese evenly over pesto. Add onions and peppers, sausage, and cheeses. Bake 10 minutes or until crust is slightly brown and cheese is bubbly. |
This recipe for California Pizza is from