Laurel's Pesto Pizza

Laurel’s Pesto Pizza


This is definitely a “slow food,” but is worth every second of the wait and the work.

Dough: 3 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1 ½ teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar

1. Warm the water to 45 C or 110 F. Put in the yeast and sugar. Let the yeast work for 10 – 15 minutes.
2. Pour the yeast mixture in a glass bowl. Add 3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Mix the flour and liquid; then turn the dough out onto a floured cloth and knead until smooth. Add flour if necessary.
4. Generously oil a second glass bowl; place the dough in top side down. Turn so oiled side is up, cover with a clean cloth and set in a warm place* to rise for 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Make the pesto and prepare the toppings while the dough is rising.

Pesto sauce: 2 cups chopped basil leaves, ¾ cup raw pine nuts, 2 cloves crushed garlic, ¾ cup olive oil

Wash, and chop basil leaves to make 2 cups of leaves. Place in blender with other pesto ingredients and pulverize.

Toppings: 8 oz chopped cooked turkey, 6 slices crispy bacon - crumbled, 12 cherry tomatoes, 12 – 15 mushrooms, 1 onion

Chop tomatoes into quarters, slice mushrooms, slice onion

When dough has doubled in size, punch it down, split it into two pieces and press it onto two pizza stones. Spread each one with pesto sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, mushroom, tomato and onion. If you want a vegetarian pizza, leave the turkey and bacon off one of them.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375.

* Turn the oven on “warm” for 2 or 3 minutes. Turn the oven off and open door for about 1 minute to let some of the heat escape, place the covered bread dough inside, and close the door.

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. William Penn