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Food

Pesto-Topped Pizza Recipe

Make pesto out of (almost) anything, and then top your pizza with it.
Pesto-Topped Pizza Recipe

Servings: 5
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 48 hours

Ingredients

for the dough:
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (yes, really)
6 cups '00' flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

for the tomato sauce:
1 (28-ounce|794-gram) can whole peeled tomatoes
granulated sugar, to taste
kosher salt, to taste

for the carrot-top pesto:
8 ¾ ounces|250 grams carrot tops
½ cup|120 ml olive oil
1 cup toasted pepitas
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the mustard green pesto:
250 grams mustard greens
½ cup|125 ml olive oil
fresh lemon juice, to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

to finish:
fresh mozzarella, sliced (or any other cheese you have knocking around your refrigerator)
roasted carrots
lemon slices
mortadella slices
sliced speck
and anything else your little heart desires!

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast with 2 ¼ cups|567 grams water heated to 115°F|46°C and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and knead for a further 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature until the dough doubles in size and touches the plastic wrap, about 2 ½ hours.
  4. Punch the dough down, scrape the sides down, cover again, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
  5. The next day, divide the dough into 5 (8 ½-ounce|250-gram) balls and roll until smooth.
  6. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet spaced 2-inches apart, cover, and refrigerate 24 hours.
  7. Place a pizza stone in the oven and heat to 500°F.
  8. Make the tomato sauce: Process the tomatoes through a food mill or crush by hand. Season with salt and sugar and set aside.
  9. Make the carrot-top pesto: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
  10. Make the mustard green pesto: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
  11. To make your pizzas, on a lightly floured surface and working with one ball of dough at a time, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Top with your choice of sauce (tomato, carrot-top pesto, or mustard green pesto) and toppings. Bake in the oven until golden and crispy and the cheese is bubbling, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.

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