White Pizza

I love white pizza.  Any toppings with white sauce are super yummy.  I always use the The Pioneer Woman's pizza crust recipe.  The recipe can be found in her cookbook "The Pioneer Woman Cooks".  There are many delicious recipes in her book and on her site.  The grown-up's pizza was half tomato, basil and artichoke hearts and half sauteed red onion, yellow squash and zucchini.  The kid's pizza was half pepperoni and half cheese.  What's wrong with kids?

Crust:

• 1 t. dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups flour
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

Pour warm water into your Kitchenaid mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the top. Add flour and salt.  With the dough hook, begin kneading while drizzling the olive oil in. I usually knead mine for 5 minutes.  If the dough seems to sticky add spoonfuls of flour until you get the dough to the right consistency.  I don't like sticky dough.  Once the dough is kneaded, form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.  This makes enough dough for 2 pizzas.

White sauce: 

• 2 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 shallot or garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Make a roux with butter and flour.  Slowly wisk in the milk.  Once you have wisked in the milk, add shallot or garlic (I love shallots!), parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.  This will be nice and thick by the time you have your crusts patted out in your pans.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Time to assemble your pizza. Divide dough in half and spread out in two cookie sheets with rims.  I usually just pat my dough out.  If it seems to be springing back on me, I will let the dough rest a couple of minutes and then pat it out some more.  Spread with white sauce.  If you want to top with zucchini, which was super yummy, chop half a red onion, 2 zucchini and 1 yellow squash. Saute in olive oil with salt and pepper until the vegetables are wilty and have released most of their water.  You can then drain on paper towel, or do it like I do and tilt the pan, scooting the squash to the high side and let drain a couple of minutes.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven and how crispy you like your pizza.  Here is one strange fact about my pizza...I almost always use Jack cheese, unless I have fresh mozzarella.  I am not sure how I started using Jack cheese, but once I started I couldn't stop!