Four Cheese Pesto Pizza Recipes

PESTO PIZZA WITH FRESH TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Combine the flour, olive oil, yeast, salt and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• When the dough has risen, punch it down and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and roll each part into a ball. Cover the dough balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (the dough will rise a bit).
• Meanwhile, set an oven rack in the bottom position and preheat the oven to 500°F. Sprinkle the cornmeal on an 18x13-inch baking sheet; set aside. Cut the tomatoes crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the juices.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour, and then press and stretch the rested dough into two 12x8-inch rectangles. If the dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour. Place the two pizza doughs side-by-side on the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Press the dough out again so that it almost touches the edges of the pan.
• Spread ⅓ cup of the pesto evenly over the pizzas (2½ tablespoons each), leaving a 1-inch border. Bake on the bottom rack for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; and then top the pizzas with the mozzarella cheese, followed by the tomato slices and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season each pizza with an ⅛-teaspoon salt and a few grinds fresh black pepper. Place the pizzas back in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board. Drizzle the remaining pesto over the pizzas and sprinkle with the fresh basil. Cut into slices and serve immediately.
• Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, olive oil, and salt, and proceed with the recipe.
• Make Ahead Instructions: Once the dough has completed it's initial rise, and you've cut it in half to form two balls, lightly coat each dough ball with olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) into a freezer bag and seal shut, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. When ready to use, let the dough sit out on the countertop for 30 minutes to warm up before stretching.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 12 hours), and then let it warm up on the countertop for about 30 minutes before stretching.

FOUR-CHEESE PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F.
• Place pita breads on ungreased large cookie sheet. Mix cream cheese and milk until smooth. Spread on pita breads to within 1/4 inch of edge. Gently spread pesto over cream cheese. Top with olives. Sprinkle with cheeses and parsley.
• Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

PESTO AND CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, water and oil with fork until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Cover; let stand 8 minutes.
• Pat or press dough in bottom and 1 inch over side of pizza pan. Place string cheese along edge of dough, overlapping if necessary. Fold 1-inch edge of dough over and around cheese; press to seal.
• Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
• Spread pesto over warm crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese; top with bell peppers and remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

CAMERON'S FOUR-CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4-cup warm water.
• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes. The pizza dough can also be made in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse once or twice, add the remaining ingredients, and process until the dough begins to form a ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for 2 or 3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.
• Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 6 ounces each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• Yield: Makes 4 (8-inch) pizzas
• For the Pizza: Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• To prepare each pizza, dip the ball of dough into flour, shake off the excess flour, place the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface, and start to stretch the dough. Press down on the center, spreading the dough into an 8-inch or 10-inch rounds, with the outer border a little thicker than the inner circle. If you find this difficult to do, use a small rolling pin to roll out the dough. Brush lightly with pesto and scatter the oven-dried tomatoes evenly around the inner circle of the pizza.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella and Fontina, arrange the slices of the Roma tomatoes, and then sprinkle with the goat cheese, oregano, thyme, and finally the Parmesan. Bake on the pizza stone until the pizza crust is nicely browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• When the pizza is removed from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and garnish with the chiffonade of basil leaves, cut the pizza into slices, and serve immediately.
• Yield: 1 (10-inch) or 2 (8-inch) pizzas; 3 to 4 servings
• Preheat the over to 250 degrees F.
• In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes. Drain and refresh in ice water. Drain. Peel, core, cut into quarters, and remove seeds.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the tomato quarters on the tray, cut side down. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and sugar, and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
• Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, about 1 hour. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer to a container. Pour olive oil over and cover the container. Refrigerate and use as needed.
• In a mortar and pestle, pound the basil, garlic, nuts and salt until thoroughly mashed. Add the oil, a few drops at a time, until you have a smooth paste.
• Pesto can also be made in a blender. Pour in the oil first, then the garlic, nuts, and finally the basil leaves. Blend on low to a smooth paste. Season with the kosher salt.

PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Lightly oil a 12-inch pizza pan and dust it with cornmeal.
• Roll and stretch the dough to fit pan, leaving a thicker rim along the edge. Spread dough evenly with pesto.
• Mix cheeses together and sprinkle evenly over the pesto. Place pizza on bottom shelf of preheated oven and bake until the crust has browned and the cheese is bubbly and just turning golden, about 20 minutes. Serve at once.