pizza

On my old blog, I often talked about my favorite bread book.And unfortunately, since it's not my recipe, I can't share the recipe with you. (But like I've suggested over and over, go out and buy the book! It'll change your life, seriously) I love it. I don't buy bread anymore. And the amazing part is that this recipe is so versatile and stays in your fridge for up to 2 weeks, so I can make a fresh loaf of bread pretty much whenever I want.

Which is why pizza is a last minute, quick dinner at our house. And it's completely from scratch. If you don't have this book, (go out and buy it, or) you can use store bought pizza dough or any other pizza dough recipe, of course. But it won't be as convenient as what I do several times a month.

This week, I was feeling a bit splurgy and bought a bunch of fresh mozzarella (which someday soon I hope to make myself), so there was no question in my mind that I needed to make a Margherita pizza. It's the best way to use fresh mozzarella. It's the most beautiful, simple way to enjoy the creamy flavor. Pizza dough, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, olive oil. A teeny bit of salt to taste. I went one step further and infused my olive oil with garlic, just for more good flavor.

It might seem too simple, but sometimes simple is the best way to go. Just make sure you have the best quality ingredients available to you (& your budget), and you'll love the results. That's my whole theory about cooking from scratch anyway.

Margherita Pizza
makes an 8~10 inch pizza

1/4 lb (ish) pizza dough

a mixture of tomatoes, as much or as little as you want on your pizza (I used "campari" and "golden sweet cherries"), sliced

basil

fresh mozzarella slices

garlic infused olive oil*

kosher salt to taste

cornmeal

1. Preheat your baking stone in the oven to 500°F (or higher, if your oven gets hotter). Using a paper towel, blot and press the tomato and mozzarella slices to remove excess moisture.
2. Roll the dough out as thin as you can without tearing, about 8~10 inches in diameter. Place on a (generously) cornmeal coated pizza peel, and work quickly.
3. Evenly place slices of mozzarella cheese, avoiding the outer inch of the dough to prevent the cheese from melting and sliding off of the dough. Place slices of tomato on top, then drizzle with garlic infused olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then quickly slide the pizza onto the stone with a quick, thrusting motion. Bake in the oven for 10~12 minutes, until the cheese and tomatoes are browned and the crust is crisp. Let cool slightly before serving.

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
3~6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1. In a medium saucepan, pour the olive oil and add the crushed garlic cloves. Heat over medium-low heat. If the garlic begins to brown, turn the heat down. Let the flavors steep for at least 10 minutes, but the longer you go, the more flavor you get. But make sure the garlic doesn't brown or you'll get a bitter oil and lose the olive flavor.