Fennel Taleggio Pizza Recipes

PUTTANESCA PIZZA WITH TALEGGIO AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Preheat a pizza stone in a 500 degree F oven. Dust the top of a pizza peel with semolina flour, and lay the pizza dough on top.
• Combine the olives, capers, tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Thinly spread the puttanesca sauce over the pizza dough and top with the taleggio.
• Place the pizza on the pizza stone or a sheet tray and bake until the crust is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Towards the end of the cooking time, lightly dress the arugula with olive oil and a pinch salt. Top the finished pizza immediately with the arugula, cut into pieces and serve hot.
• Pour the warm water into a small bowl (if the water is too hot the yeast will die and if the water is too cold the yeast will not activate). Stir in the sugar and dry yeast to combine and let sit 15 minutes. The top of the water will bubble and smell very yeasty, this is what you want.
• Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the olive oil and yeast water. Gradually stir the flour into the liquid, using a fork. Once most of the flour has been incorporated, turn the dough out onto a smooth, clean work surface dusted with bench flour. Use your hands to knead the dough to a smooth consistency.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Portion the dough and stretch to the desired size.

CHEESES PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone or tiles on the middle rack of your oven and turn heat to its highest setting. Let it heat for at least an hour.
• Drizzle the cream over the stretched dough. Break the mozzarella into large pieces and gently place these on the dough. Break the taleggio into pieces and do the same. Grind an exceptional amount of black pepper onto the surface of the pie, approximately 8 to 10 grinds.
• Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone or tiles in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.
• Scatter the Parmesan over the pizza and serve immediately.

PUMPKIN, FENNEL & TALEGGIO GALETTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Peel the squash, then halve and deseed it before cutting the flesh into thick wedges and halving them again to make quarters. Put the slices in a roasting tin with half the olive oil, the nutmeg and seasoning, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 mins, or until tender and a little caramelised.
• Halve the fennel bulbs lengthways and remove the tops and tough outer leaves from each piece. Trim the base and cut each half into thick wedges, keeping them intact at the base. Put the wedges straight into a bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent discolouring. Add the fennel seeds, remaining olive oil and some seasoning, then toss well. Spread the fennel in a roasting tin large enough to hold it in a single layer and cover with foil. Roast the fennel (at the same time as the squash) for 20 mins, or until tender with pale -gold undersides.
• Wash the spinach and cook in a covered pan over a medium heat for 1-2 mins. When wilted, drain in a colander and leave to cool. Squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach, chop roughly and season. Melt the butter in a frying pan and quickly fry the spinach with the garlic for 3 mins. Set aside.
• Roll out the pastry to make the base of the tart, ending up with a piece measuring roughly 28 x 38cm. Put the pastry base on to a floured metal baking sheet. Create a border all the way round by lightly running a knife 2cm from the edge. Prick the rest of the pastry all over with a fork. Put a rectangle of baking parchment, the size of the inside of the border, over the pastry. Weight it down with baking beans. Knock up the sides of the pastry by holding a small knife at a right angle to the pastry and making small indentations to release the layers. This will give you a better rise. Paint the border with the egg wash.
• Put the pastry in the preheated oven and cook for 25 mins, removing the beans and paper after 15 mins. Take the partially cooked tart base out of the oven and, if the centre has risen, gently flatten it with the back of a wooden spoon. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Spoon the spinach onto the pastry, then put the squash and fennel on top. Distribute the cheese over the top, too. Put the tart back into the oven and cook for a further 25 mins. The cheese should be golden in patches and the pastry should be cooked and golden, but not too dark.