Tuesday, January 21, 2014

broccoli and feta whole wheat pizza

After making a number of hugely successful pizzas with Smitten Kitchen's recipe, I was ready and able to try a healthier version - by adding whole wheat flour to the dough and eliminating all that ooey, gooey cheese.

This pizza was definitely healthier than its predecessors, but with the toppings I erred on the side of too dry; the feta doesn't melt at all and the broccoli stays firm. A nice dose of olive oil on the top of the dough helped, but it wasn't enough. Next time I'll use pesto. 

This month's Recipe Redux challenge is Pizza Party! Give the delivery guy a day off; whether it is for Friday Fun Night with the kids, a pizza chef competition among friends, or for Super Bowl Sunday (February 2). Here is a healthy pizza recipe that we can all look forward to after a long week…or a long day.

Really Simple Homemade Pizza Dough
From Smitten Kitchen
Makes one small pizza

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour (I used: 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 cup bread flour)
1 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:
  1. Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.
  2. Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl (a spritz of cooking spray perfectly does the trick) where you had mixed it — one-bowl recipe! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for two hours, until it has doubled in size.
  3. Dump it back on the floured counter, and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.
  4. Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and preheat your oven to its top temperature. Roll out the pizza, toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like. (I always err on the side of skimpy with toppings so to not weight down the dough too much, or if I have multiple toppings, to keep them very thinly sliced.)
  5. Bake it for about 10 minutes until it’s lightly blistered and impossible to resist.
Toppings
1/2 cup olive oil
1-1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets, sliced as thin as possible
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups crumbled feta cheese


4 comments:

  1. Broccoli and feta...2 of my favorite foods and perfect combination for a pizza!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I still haven't added broccoli on a pizza yet, but it's on my "to do" list. Good idea.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Broccoli is one of my favorite pizza toppings, and there can never be too much garlic in any dish. Your recipe looks tasty!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Broccoli, olive oil, and garlic are such simple toppings but so delicious. You can never go wrong!

    ReplyDelete