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Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza with Mushrooms and Fontina

By Dan Souza

Published on March 26, 2013

Time

2 hours, plus 19 hours resting

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes two 13-inch pizzas)

Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza with Mushrooms and Fontina

Ingredients

DOUGH

1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) whole-wheat flour 1 cup (5½ ounces/156 grams) bread flour 2 teaspoons honey ¾ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 ¼ cups ice water 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 ¾ teaspoons salt

CREAM SAUCE

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 shallots, minced½ teaspoon salt 1 garlic clove, minced1 sprig fresh thyme 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon pepper

MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces (227 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin8 ounces (227 grams) oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper
6 ounces (170 grams) fontina cheese, shredded (1½ cups)1 cup baby arugula lemon wedges

Before You Begin

We recommend King Arthur brand bread flour for this recipe. Some baking stones, especially thinner ones, can crack under the intense heat of the broiler. Our recommended stone, by Old Stone Oven, is fine if you’re using this technique. If you use another stone, you might want to check the manufacturer’s website.

Instructions

    for the dough

  1. Process whole-wheat flour, bread flour, honey, and yeast in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds. With processor running, add water and process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Add oil and salt to dough and process until it forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 45 to 60 seconds. Remove from bowl and knead on oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. for the cream sauce

  4. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Cook until cream is thickened and spatula leaves trail that slowly fills in, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Discard thyme sprig and stir in Parmesan and pepper. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely before using. (Cream sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)
  5. for the mushrooms

  6. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely before using. (Mushroom mixture can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)
  7. One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack 4½ inches from broiler element, set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place balls on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic coated with vegetable oil spray; let stand for 1 hour.
  8. Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured countertop. Using your fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Lift edge of dough and, using back of your hands and knuckles, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 13-inch round. Using back of spoon, spread half of cream sauce over surface of dough, leaving ¼-inch border. Sprinkle half of mushroom mixture evenly over pizza, followed by 3/4 cup fontina. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and partially browned, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Remove pizza, place on wire rack, and let rest for 5 minutes. Top with half of arugula, slice, and serve with lemon wedges.
  9. Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Repeat process of stretching, topping, and baking with remaining dough and toppings, returning oven to 500 degrees when pizza is placed on stone.
Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza with Mushrooms and Fontina

Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza with Mushrooms and Fontina

Save

Time

2 hours, plus 19 hours resting

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes two 13-inch pizzas)

Ingredients

DOUGH

1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (5½ ounces/156 grams) bread flour
2 teaspoons honey
¾ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ¼ cups ice water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ¾ teaspoons salt

CREAM SAUCE

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
½ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon pepper

MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (227 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
8 ounces (227 grams) oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 ounces (170 grams) fontina cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
1 cup baby arugula
lemon wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

DOUGH

1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (5½ ounces/156 grams) bread flour
2 teaspoons honey
¾ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ¼ cups ice water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ¾ teaspoons salt

CREAM SAUCE

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
½ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon pepper

MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (227 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
8 ounces (227 grams) oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 ounces (170 grams) fontina cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
1 cup baby arugula
lemon wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

DOUGH

1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (5½ ounces/156 grams) bread flour
2 teaspoons honey
¾ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ¼ cups ice water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ¾ teaspoons salt

CREAM SAUCE

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
½ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon pepper

MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (227 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
8 ounces (227 grams) oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 ounces (170 grams) fontina cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
1 cup baby arugula
lemon wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a pizza with balanced whole-wheat flavor, we used a combination of 60 percent whole-wheat flour and 40 percent bread flour. To ensure that this higher-than-normal ratio of whole-wheat to bread flour still produced a great crust, we increased the hydration to almost 80 percent, resulting in better gluten development and chew. To compensate for the added moisture, we employed the broiler to speed the baking process and guarantee a crisp crust and a moist, tender interior. Finally, we threw out traditional pizza toppings, which tended to clash with the whole-wheat flavor, opting instead for oil- and cream-based sauces and bold ingredients.

Before You Begin

We recommend King Arthur brand bread flour for this recipe. Some baking stones, especially thinner ones, can crack under the intense heat of the broiler. Our recommended stone, by Old Stone Oven, is fine if you’re using this technique. If you use another stone, you might want to check the manufacturer’s website.

Instructions

    for the dough

  1. Process whole-wheat flour, bread flour, honey, and yeast in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds. With processor running, add water and process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Add oil and salt to dough and process until it forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 45 to 60 seconds. Remove from bowl and knead on oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. for the cream sauce

  4. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Cook until cream is thickened and spatula leaves trail that slowly fills in, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Discard thyme sprig and stir in Parmesan and pepper. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely before using. (Cream sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)
  5. for the mushrooms

  6. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely before using. (Mushroom mixture can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)
  7. One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack 4½ inches from broiler element, set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place balls on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic coated with vegetable oil spray; let stand for 1 hour.
  8. Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured countertop. Using your fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Lift edge of dough and, using back of your hands and knuckles, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 13-inch round. Using back of spoon, spread half of cream sauce over surface of dough, leaving ¼-inch border. Sprinkle half of mushroom mixture evenly over pizza, followed by 3/4 cup fontina. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and partially browned, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Remove pizza, place on wire rack, and let rest for 5 minutes. Top with half of arugula, slice, and serve with lemon wedges.
  9. Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Repeat process of stretching, topping, and baking with remaining dough and toppings, returning oven to 500 degrees when pizza is placed on stone.

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