Wild Mushroom and Garlic White Pizza

As a connoisseur of pizza, nothing beats the comfort and indulgence of a well-made garlic white pizza. It’s a slice of heaven that will make your taste buds dance with joy.

The one item that could possibly get in our way is the pizza’s most important topping: cheese.

Mozzarella is expensive in Beijing, so whenever we travel back to the States, we make sure to pack an insulated bag full of heavily discounted and/or coupons Polly-o to keep in our Beijing freezer.

But I’m willing to bet that most of you lovely readers aren’t experiencing the same cheese shortage that we are. Hurry up and whip up this pizza. Wild mushrooms have a deep, woodsy flavor that pairs beautifully with the sharpness of garlic, the fruitiness of olive oil, the creaminess of mozzarella, and the harmony of these four flavors.

Our tried-and-true pizza dough recipe comes straight from the mind of culinary genius Jamie Oliver. This crust is, without a doubt, the best one we’ve ever had. This mushroom pizza is delicious, and you’ll agree.

Ingredients:

For the Pizza Dough:

• 2 1/4 ounce of packets active dry yeast
• 5 cups of bread flour
• 2 1/2 cups of warm water
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
• 2-3 teaspoons of salt

For the Toppings (For 1 Large Pizza):

• 2 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly)
• handful of mozzarella cheese
• Reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms or other wild mushroom
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh parsley or basil
• salt
• black pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Sugar or honey should be dissolved in warm water in a separate medium bowl. Olive oil should be added after the yeast has been mixed in. Set aside for 20 minutes or until it begins to foam heavily.
2. Make a dough by adding the yeast mixture to the flour and mixing it together. Knead it for 7-10 minutes with floured hands, adding more flour if necessary, as it will be sticky. To let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, place it in a big floured basin, cover with a damp cloth, and set it in a warm location to rise.
3. Put the pizza in a preheated oven at 500 degrees when you’re ready to create it. Stir the olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms together in a bowl. Let sit for a few minutes. You can make your pizza in whatever shape you wish.
4. Mozzarella slices should be scattered across the dough after it has been topped with the oil, garlic, and mushrooms. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then season with salt and pepper. Using a pizza stone is ideal, but a baking sheet will suffice in a pinch!
5. You can refrigerate the leftover dough or try it with different toppings at a later time.