Florentine Pizza Food

FABULOUS FLORENTINE PIZZA

Steps:

• Put the pizza dough ingredients in to a breadmaker (in the order specified by your breadmachine), and process on pizza dough cycle.
• When cycle completes, remove the dough from the machine and put it in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray; cover it and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, roll out the dough and put it on a greased 15 inch pizza stone sprinkled with some corn meal.
• Bake in 375F oven for about 5 minutes. Because the toppings on this pizza will generate some moisture, pre-baking the crust for a few minutes will prevent the pizza from becoming soggy. There's nothing worse than a soggy pizza! After pre-baking the crust, remove the pizza from the oven, and raise the temperature to 430°F If your pesto and toppings aren't ready yet, cover the crust with a cloth and set aside while preparing the toppings.
• While pizza dough is processing, make the pesto. You will have more pesto than you will need for the pizza. But, it is better to have a little too much, than to come up short! Just save the extra in the fridge and use for something else. In a food processor or blender, blend the basil, garlic and pine nuts.
• Slowly add the oil and continue to blend.
• Add the parmesan cheese and blend until creamy.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Set the pesto aside.
• Prepare the pizza toppings. Slice the mushrooms, chop the spinach fairly fine, julienne cut the sundried tomatoes; shred the 2 cheeses and mix the cheeses together.
• Prepare the pizza! Spread the pesto on the pizza dough. Depending on your preference, you will probably want between 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of pesto. Spread it right out to the edges.
• Add the toppings; first the spinach, then the mushrooms, then the sun-dried tomatoes, and finally the cheeses.
• Bake in a 430F oven for about 15 minutes.

TRADITIONAL FLORENTINE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Mix the water with the sugar and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes until dissolved and the yeast starts to bubble.
• Add the salt, olive oil and 1 cup of the flour and mix well.
• Add 2 more cups of flour, dough should be still a little sticky but should be able to form a ball.
• Turn out onto floured surface and start to knead, adding a little bit of flour as needed, until your dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Form a fall, place into an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth napkin. Let dough rise for 45 minutes. Punch down and divide in half.
• Preheat oven to 400°F If using a pizza stone, be sure to put the stone in the oven while it heats up.
• If using a baking pizza pan, lightly oil your baking pizza pan. Otherwise, shape pizza on a lightly floured surface. With your hands, press on the dough to spread it out to about 1/2 cm high (very thin). Top pizza with toppings of your choice. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. If using a pizza stone, transfer to pizza stone.
• Drizzle olive oil over the top of the pizza before placing into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes if using a pizza pan, 8-5 minutes if using a pizza stone, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden.