One of our friends gave us a mushroom growing kit for Christmas. We've been growing port0bella mushrooms since. They are really easy to grow - all you have to do is mist them a few times a day.
Once the mushrooms started to poke through, they were full size in about four days. That was our first crop. We should have another in a few weeks.
I've been using the mushrooms up in lots of dishes, like this pizza. I've made pizza lots of times before, but usually I bought pizza dough from the supermarket. I've never been good at rolling the dough out to a decent size, shape, and thickness. This time, I discovered a cool tip for that. When I started shaping the dough into a crust, I patted it into a flat disk. Starting from the middle, I kept patting with my fingertips, working my way out to the edges. This gave me lots of control over the shape of the dough, and I didn't end up with any holes or thick spots. Once I had this down, it was a cinch to top and bake the pizza.
Pizza Crust
from williams-sonoma.com
1 Tbs dry active yeast
¾ c plus 2 Tbs warm water (100˚F)
2 ¾ c all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt and form into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture to the well. Stir with a fork in a circular motion, gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until a dough forms.
Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball. Brush a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down the dough and, using your hand, begin to press it out gently into the desired shape. Then, place one hand in the center of the dough and, with the other hand, pull, lift and stretch the dough, gradually working your way all around the edge, until it is the desired thickness. Flip the dough over from time to time as your work with it. (Or roll out the dough with a rolling pin.) The dough should be slightly thinner in the middle than at the edge. Lift the edge of the pizza to form a slight rim.
Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a baker's peel or a baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the peel, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again until almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
¾ c plus 2 Tbs warm water (100˚F)
2 ¾ c all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt and form into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture to the well. Stir with a fork in a circular motion, gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until a dough forms.
Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball. Brush a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down the dough and, using your hand, begin to press it out gently into the desired shape. Then, place one hand in the center of the dough and, with the other hand, pull, lift and stretch the dough, gradually working your way all around the edge, until it is the desired thickness. Flip the dough over from time to time as your work with it. (Or roll out the dough with a rolling pin.) The dough should be slightly thinner in the middle than at the edge. Lift the edge of the pizza to form a slight rim.
Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a baker's peel or a baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the peel, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again until almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
Pizza Bianca with Mushrooms
1 pizza dough, stretched and ready for toppings
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
1 c ricotta cheese
6-7 mushrooms, chopped
Fresh basil leaves
Heat oven to 450˚F. In a small saucepan, heat the 3 Tbs olive oil. Add the garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Drizzle onto the pizza crust and brush to coat evenly. Layer mozzarella cheese evenly onto the pizza crust. Dot with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with mushrooms. Bake until cheese is bubbly and crust is lightly brown, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, top with basil, and cut into slices.
This looks delicious! Now you have me thinking I need to grow mushrooms. Yours look so good!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun gift!
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