Pizza, a favorite in our household, is one of those dishes that can be very easy to make if you decide to use a store-bought crust, sauce, and toppings. However, I prefer to make some of the components, specifically the dough, from scratch because I can control the types of ingredients used.
Restaurants across the country are now offering gourmet versions of thin, crispy pizzas called flatbreads. I decided to try to recreate my own version, complete with a homemade crust! First up, what to put on it… I decided to keep it simple, fresh, and healthy with a bit of a gourmet twist. Here are the list of ingredients I set out to purchase at my local Smart & Final:
Ragu Sauce (I decided not to try to make my own)
Mozarella Cheese
Goat Cheese
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Arrugula
Olive Oil
I always keep a supply of flour, active dry yeast, etc. on hand, but I decided to check out the baking section of our local store to see what types of products were available.
Everything you need to make a flatbread crust is available at Smart & Final. I also found everything I needed for the toppings except sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese. The manager was very helpful in attempting to locate these items and he even pointed out a section of the store where gourmet cheese and meats are kept (something I just learned on this shopping trip).
I used a very simple, but somewhat time-consuming flatbread recipe from Bobby Flay. Deciding to make a crust (or any type of bread, for that matter) from scratch involves patience…commitment. Here is the recipe, courtesy of the Food Network:
Flatbread
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, plus more for bowl
Mix water and yeast in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gradually pour in 2 cups of flour and mix for about a minute to for a sponge. Cover and allow to sit for one hour.
Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, add the salt and oil, then add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a dough. Remove from bowl and knead. Place in a clean oiled bowl and allow to rise about 2 1/2 hours. Divide dough into 4 balls, let rise again for 1/2 hour. Roll out as desired.
If you decide to make the dough from scratch, be mindful of how long it will take (4 hours). This is something that can be started early in the morning for a late lunch or early dinner.
Once your dough has risen, you can start rolling it out (or spreading it out with your fingers) to the thickness desired. Even though my intent was to make a flatbread, I didn’t roll it out to be too thin because I like a somewhat thicker crust. If you decide to grill your flatbread, be sure to spread a thin layer of olive oil on both sides.
Keep in mind that flatbread is intended to be grilled, but I used a baking stone and cooked it in the oven. I sprinkled some cornmeal on the stone before placing the dough on it.
I then spread Ragu’s Roasted Garlic Sauce on the dough and topped with freshly grated mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. I cooked the pizza in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. As the pizza was nearing completion, I added the fresh arugula and allowed it to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool and serve! Bon Appetit!
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My family loves the flatbread, but I can’t ever get it flat enough, LOL! Going to try this next time 🙂
haha! I know…..it takes a lot of rolling! : )