Today I'm sharing a homemade pizza recipe with asparagus and arugula. It is a pretty incredible pizza. I finally started to love making pizza at home ever since Greg bought me a pizza stone. I was lost before I had one. The greek pizza was the first homemade pizza I made with the stone, and it is also super yummy. When I made this arugula and asparagus pizza, I reunited with Boursin cheese, which I had forgotten how much I enjoy. I will not bust out into song right now, even though I'm tempted to. Wait, I think I'm gong to anyways - reunited, and it feels so good! Ok - now for the pizza recipe. I'm hoping to make this pizza on Sunday to share with mom on Mother's Day, but I think she has her sights set on filet mignon!
Recipe for Asparagus and Arugula Pizza
INGREDIENTS:
For the dough
1 cup (110 degrees) of warm water
2 1/2 cups of bread flour
1 tsp. of kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
For the topping/assembly
1 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice
16 spears of thin asparagus, thick ends discardedA couple handfuls of baby arugula leaves
8 - 10 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 - 5 ounces of Boursin garlic & herb cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
For the dough
Put the warm water in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Add in the sugar and package of yeast. Let sit until it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
Put the bread flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until combined. Pour the olive oil through the feed tube and pulse to combine. Then, with the processor running, slowly pour the yeast mixture through the tube until it is all used. Run the processor until the mixture turns into a dough ball and it leaves the sides of the bowl.
Take dough out of bowl and shape more into a rounded ball. Put the dough into a lightly oiled metal bowl and then cover with saran wrap. Place in a warm place for about an hour until it rises.
Dust your hands with flour and shape dough onto your work surface. Assemble the pizza.
For topping/assembly
Put a pizza stone on the lowest rack in oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees. Allow to heat for 30 minutes at 500 degrees before cooking the pizza.
While the oven is heating, assemble the pizza. Cut the asparagus into 1 1/2-inch slices. Stand the asparagus up on a cutting board and carefully cut into thin strips (or you can use a vegetable peeler for thinner pieces).
Mix the olive oil and lemon juice together and brush evenly over the pizza dough. Put the slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza dough. Then place the asparagus and the arugula leaves on top of the cheese. Use the Boursin cheese to fill up any spaces on the pizza. Top the pizza with a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.
Carefully transfer pizza to the hot pizza stone in oven. Bake for approximately 10 - 12 minutes, making sure to check it frequently to avoid burning. Carefully remove from the oven and cool for just a couple minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Pizza recipe adapted from Annie's Eats
Pizza dough recipe adapted from All Recipes
