Bread is one of the most popular and ancient foods in the world.  Have you heard of anybody who doesn’t like bread?

Bread, flatbread, focaccia, ciabatta and of course…pizza.

Pizza was one of those foods that – for me, a regular mortal – was completely intimidating. I am not going to say that it is a walk in the park, but like a lot of recipes, if you just follow the instructions it is totally worth the time.

So I got The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish and fell in love with the entire process. He gives you a complete break down of the ingredients and every step of the pizza preparation process, from the dough to the sauce and the cheese! The most amazing thing about pizza for me, is that you can customize it to your preference. Regardless of the classics, you can always add or adjust the toppings.

The dough is as important as the toppings, and that was my concern. However, with a food processor we shouldn’t be intimidated anymore about anything. A food processor simplifies everything! Again, just follow the instructions and you should be fine and in motion.

We love Margherita’s and we eat them often. We also like our pizza thin, very thin (although I am sure that Guy likes them in any way?). So I thought I would make a Margherita with a few variations, just to enhance some flavors and I cannot tell you how delicious it was!

You need to make this pizza. Whether you decide to make the dough or not, you need to try it. I really wanted to make the dough, but if you are not up to it, many grocery stores sell them  prepared, just ready to bake.

I used Tomato Basil Marinara sauce instead of plain canned tomatoes to give it a flavorful base (RAO’s is my favorite #notanadd). On top of the sauce I added some shredded mozzarella, and on top of that instead of fresh mozzarella I used ricotta, topped with pesto!

The pesto gives it an extraordinary touch,  basil, garlic and pine nuts , a much deeper flavor. This pizza is delicious as is. I like to add the fresh basil after is done (it is more flavorful and prettier!).

But at the end I decided to take it to another level by adding Arugula with parmesan and lemon dressing…

 Just place the dressed salad on top of the Pizza and enjoy!

Dough recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma and The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish.

Margherita Pizza with Arugula and Ricotta

Yield: 1 (12 inch) pizza - about 4 servings

Ingredients

For the dough:

2 cups of all purpose flour

3/4 cup of warm water

1/4 tsp of instant yeast

2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 tsp of salt

For the topping:

1/3 cup of Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

(I used this one)

1 cup (8 oz) or shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of ricotta

3 tbs of parmesan cheese, finally sliced

1/4 cup of pesto

1 cup (8 oz) of Arugula

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

the juice of half a lemon

Salt

 

Instructions

Pour yeast on the warm water and stir until it dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the water and yeast.

Place flour and salt in the food processor fitted with the dough blade and pulse a couple of times. Start to process at low and add water and yeast mix slowly and gradually until water is absorbed by the flour. Process until the dough cleans the sides of the food processor and forms a ball.

Cover your hands with flour and remove the dough from the food processor. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead the dough until it forms a unified mass. Form  the dough into a ball.

Place the other tsp of olive oil in a medium bowl and place the dough ball inside and cover with a plastic wrap. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Knead the dough again on a floured surface and work it for about 2 minutes, form another ball. This time the ball should be soft  and smooth. Place the ball seam down in the medium bowl and cover tightly with the plastic wrap. Let is rest for at least an hour to 4 hours at room temperature (not cold though).

Place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface and form your pizza (round or square). To shape the pizza coat both sides slightly with flour. Try to carefully stretch it to the desired form. Place a parchment paper on the pan and transfer the dough to the pan. Run your hands all over the pizza to relax the dough and work out the kinks.

Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.

I like my pizza a little toasted so I place the dough (without the toppings) in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Then  spread the marinara sauce over the dough, smoothing with the back of the spoon or ladle. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce and spoon the ricotta around the pizza – I made 6 circles with a spoon. Push down the ricotta with the spoon and sprinkle a little salt on top. Add the pesto on top of each ricotta circle. Place in the oven and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until the edges are toasted or the rim is golden.

While the pizza is in the oven, toss the arugula in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt. Add the thinly sliced parmesan.

Remove the pizza from the oven and top it with the arugula salad.

 

Notes

You can make your pizza at anytime in the 4 hours following the second rise or fermentation of the dough.

You could also make the dough 24 hours before, just let the dough rest for 4 hours after the second rise and refrigerate.

Remove from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for an hour before making the pizza.