Three Cheese Cornmeal Pizzette Recipes

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.

THREE-CHEESE CORNMEAL PIZZETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• In a food processor combine 1 cup flour, yeast, and sugar and with motor running add water. Turn motor off and add remaining dough ingredients. Process mixture until it forms a ball and process 15 seconds more to knead it.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times. Reserves half of dough for making 2 more pizzette another time, wrapping it in a sealable plastic bag, pressing out excess air, and chilling or freezing. Reserved dough keeps, chilled, 1 day or, frozen, 1 month.
• Halve remaining dough and on lightly floured surface roll out each half into an 8-inch round. Transfer rounds to baking sheet and brush lightly with oil. Top rounds evenly with remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake pizzette in lower third of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until crusts are golden and cheese is golden and bubbling.

CORNMEAL MINI-PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 deg. F.
• In a food processor, combine 1 cup flour, yeast and sugar. With motor running, pour in the hot water.
• Turn motor off and add remaining ingredients. Process mixture until it forms a ball, and then process 15 seconds longer to knead.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead 10 times. To make two pizzas, cut into half; wrap one half well and freeze for up to one month.
• Divide remaining piece in half. Roll or press out each half into an 8" circle. Transfer to a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray with additional olive oil.
• Top with favorite toppings, season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.
• Note1: white cornmeal works just as well. While the recipe calls for hot water, I usually use room temperature or even cool water - the action of the FP can heat up the dough quite a bit, so I would rather allow a little more time.
• Note2: toppings must be thinly sliced; meats and some veggies should be cooked - this pizza is in the oven only a short time. I've never used a pizza sauce with this - if you do and it works, let us know!

TOMATO-BASIL PIZZETTES

Steps:

• Make the dough: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Put 1/2 cup flour, the yeast and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the motor running, add 3/4 cup hot tap water (about 115 degrees F). Turn off the motor and add the cornmeal, cheese, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 cup flour. Pulse until the dough forms a ball, then continue pulsing until smooth but still wet, about 15 more times.
• Make the pizzettes: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, 12 to 15 times, dusting lightly with flour if too wet to handle. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick disk, about 14 inches across. Using a 3-inch-round cutter, cut the dough into 16 rounds, gathering and rerolling the scraps if needed. Transfer the rounds to the prepared pans.
• Mix the olive oil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush each round lightly with the herb oil, then top each with a slice of soppressata and 2 to 3 tomato slices. Sprinkle with the parmesan. Bake one sheet at a time, until the crusts are golden, about 8 minutes.
• Drizzle the pizzettes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and top with the basil leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CORNMEAL CHEESE MUFFINS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mash cottage cheese with a fork; add the milk, oil and egg. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cheddar cheese and thyme. , Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan a wire rack. Serve warm

CARAMELIZED ONION, RADICCHIO, AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Set stone on lowest rack of oven at least 1 hour before baking pizza (if you have a gas stove, stone can go directly on oven floor).3Cook onions in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, radicchio, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide dough into quarters on a flour-dusted surface and gently stretch each piece into a thin disk about 6 inches across. Dust baker's peel with cornmeal and put 2 disks on it.
• Jerk peel once or twice; if dough sticks, lift and sprinkle more cornmeal underneath. Top each disk on peel with one fourth of onion mixture, goat cheese, and thyme, leaving a 3/4-inch border.
• Line up far edge of peel with far edge of stone in oven. Tilt peel, jerking it gently to start pizzas moving, and once edge of pizza touches stone, quickly pull peel back to transfer pizzas to stone. Bake pizzas until dough is crisp and golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer with peel to a cutting board.
• Cut pizzas into slices and serve immediately. Make 2 more pizzas in same manner.

GRILLED-ASPARAGUS, TOMATO, AND FONTINA PIZZETTE

Steps:

• Preheat grill for direct- and indirect-heat cooking to 500 degrees (if grill does not have a temperature gauge, set an oven thermometer on upper rack). If distance between grill grates is 1 inch or greater, preheat a metal cooling rack directly on grill to prevent dough from sinking through.
• Toss asparagus and scallions with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning a few times, until charred in places but still firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly; when cool enough to handle, cut scallions into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Turn dough out onto a pizza peel or thin wooden cutting board dusted with semolina (do not punch down). Divide into thirds. Starting in center of each and using both hands, press down and outward with your fingertips while allowing dough to slowly turn. Gradually work toward edges, leaving a 1-inch border of undisturbed dough, until each is stretched to an approximately 7-inch round.
• Lightly drizzle each round with oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to grill over direct heat and cook just until set and lightly charred on bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from grill.
• Divide half of cheese evenly among crusts, then top with asparagus, scallions, tomatoes, and thyme. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Return pizzette to grill over indirect heat. Cover and cook until crusts are golden brown in places, asparagus is crisp-tender, and cheese is bubbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.