Cheese Pizzettes Recipes

PIZZETTE - MINI PIZZA BITES WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
• In a mixer bowl add flour and yeast water, give a quick stir.
• Using a dough hook attachment start to knead slowly increasing the speed.
• Add salt and extra virgin olive oil.
• NOTE: Don't add salt immediately as it'll weaken yeast quality!
• Knead for about 5 minutes.You should get a smoth and pretty soft dough. It'll be slightly sticky but manageable to handle it with your hands.
• Transfer the dough in large oiled bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let rise for 2-3 hours in a warm (not hot!) place.
• Past 2-3 hours the dough should double in size.
• Transfer it to a slightly floured work surface.
• Roll with a rolling pin to about 3-5 mm thick.
• Using a round cookie cutter about 3 inches in diameter cut out pizzette circles.
• Place pizzette on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving some space in between.
• Cover with a linen towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes in a warm place.
• While pizzette are rising it's a good idea to prepare the sauce and the toppings.
• In a skillet pan add tomato puree/passata di pomodoro, let simmer on low heat until slightly reduced. The thickness of the sauce should be good enough to stay on pizzetta, not too liquid-y but also not paste-like.
• Add fresh basil leaved roughly torn with your hands.
• Cook for another few minutes and let cool.
• Cut, slice and pit all other ingredients that you've chosen as your pizza toppings.Here you can mix, match and be creative!
• Preheat oven to 375F / 190C
• Using your point finger press around and in the center of each pizzetta (see photo) to form a slight cavity to hold in the topping.
• Top with your favorite toppings.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until cheese is well melted and pizzette have a light golden edge. Be careful and don't overcook as the dough might become hard.

BROCCOLI & GOAT'S CHEESE PIZZETTES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
• Bring a medium pan of water to the boil, add the broccoli and boil for 1 min. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Lightly dust your work surface with a little flour. Split the dough in half and roll into two oval shapes. Mix the mascarpone and lemon zest together in a bowl. Remove the hot tray from the oven and use a palette knife to transfer the bases onto the baking tray. Spread with the mascarpone and top with the broccoli and courgette, then season with black pepper. Put back in the oven to bake for 10-12 mins or until crisp and golden around the edges.
• Scatter with the crumbled goat's cheese and red chilli, and drizzle over a little olive oil to finish.

BEET, APPLE, AND CHEESE PIZZETTES

Steps:

• Preheat a gas or charcoal grill with a cover. (The pizzettes can also be baked in the oven. Place an oven rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Bake the pizzettes on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet until the crust is golden, 12 to 14 minutes.)
• Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Set aside. Using a mandoline slicer, slice the apples and beets into 1/16 to 1/8-inch thick slices. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch diameter circle. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 6 circles of dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Divide the fontina and sprinkle on top of each circle of dough. Divide the apple and beet slices and place on top. Add the goat cheese and sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill over low, indirect heat. Cover the grill and cook until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese begins to melt, 8 to 10 minutes.

PIZZETTE WITH FONTINA, TOMATO, BASIL, AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Lightly sprinkle rimmed baking sheet with flour. Roll out pizza dough on lightly floured surface 1/4-inch thick. Using 2 1/2-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut 16 dough rounds. Arrange rounds on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle rounds with Fontina cheese, dividing equally. Place 2 tomato quarters on each round, pressing gently into dough. Sprinkle tomatoes with Parmesan cheese. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Bake pizzette until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Drizzle pizzette with olive oil, then sprinkle with basil and lightly with salt and pepper. Drape prosciutto strips over. Arrange on platter and serve immediately.

GRILLED-TOMATO PIZZETTES WITH BASIL AND FONTINA CHEESE

Steps:

• After preparing grilled tomatoes, reduce grill to low. Divide pizza dough into four pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, shape dough into rough 12-inch-long ovals. Alternate between rolling the dough with a pin and stretching it with your hands. If it tears, pinch dough together to patch.
• Place dough on grill. Cook until lightly charred on one side, 3 to 4 minutes; press lightly with a spatula to deflate any air bubbles.
• Flip dough; layer with cheese and grilled tomatoes, dividing evenly. Cover grill; cook until cheese melts and bottoms of crusts are charred, 4 to 6 minutes. Garnish with basil.

PIZZETTES WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, GOAT CHEESE, AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, herbs de Provence, and sugar. Stir to combine. Continue cooking over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and dark golden brown, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Roll out the pizza dough into a 1/4-inch-thick round. Using the cookie cutter, cut out 24 dough circles. Arrange the circles on a large heavy baking sheet. Place a small spoonful of the caramelized onions on each dough circle. Top with a small amount of goat cheese. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
• While still hot, top each pizzette with a piece of prosciutto. Arrange on a serving platter and garnish with sprigs of parsley or rosemary. Serve immediately.

CHEESE PIZZETTES

Steps:

• Mix the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan together in a medium bowl, then set aside. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 3/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out dough rounds.
• Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan with 3-inch sides to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Drop a scrap of dough into the oil to ensure the oil is hot enough. If the dough sizzles, then the oil is hot enough. Working in batches, add the dough rounds to the hot oil (being sure not to crowd them in the pan) and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rounds to paper towels to drain the excess oil. Immediately sprinkle the cheese mixture over the hot pizzas. Serve warm.