Leek & Shiitake Pizza

In using up the contents of my all local bin from Pure Sprouts last week, I decided to make a leek and shiitake pizza on a whole wheat crust. The crust was earthy, complimenting the mushrooms, and a roasted garlic cream sauce (which would be excellent on pasta, too!) balanced nicely with the slight bite of the leeks. Making your own crust is always a plus, but you could also start this pizza off with a premade crust (Apple Ridge Farm sells some!). To save even more time, roast a bunch of garlic ahead of time, then squeeze the cloves out of the papery skin and freeze them for easy access to slow-cooked flavor. I’ll post the ingredients and directions for the crust, sauce and entire pie separately so you can pick and choose as you like!

Leek & Shiitake Pizza

Pizza Crust Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Crust Ingredients

• 1 T. sugar
• 1.5 c. warm water
• 1 (.25 oz) pkg dry yeast
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1.75 c. white flour
• 1.5 tsp. salt

Crust Directions:

1. Whisk 1 1/3 c. warm water with sugar in bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add olive oil and stir.
3. Place flour and salt in large mixer bowl fitted with dough hook.
4. Add yeast mixture and mix until dough is smooth and elastic. (You can also knead the mixture by hand for about 5 minutes.)
5. Divide dough in half and form into balls.
6. Place each half in a greased bowl, then flip dough over so all sides are greased. Cover with dish towels and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
7. Roll out each crust or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. (I prebake the second crust without toppings and freeze it for a really fast dinner another night!)
   

   I didn't prick my crust before baking without toppings, so it bubbled up a bit.

Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce Ingredients:

Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce Ingredients

• 5 T. olive oil
• 4 T. flour
• 1.5 c. milk (Keepsake Farm)
• 1 head garlic (Apple Ridge Farm)
• pinch each of rosemary, thyme and sage (my garden)
• salt & pepper to taste

Sauce Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. (If using the sauce right away on pizza, place pizza stone in oven while cold)
2. Slice off top 1/4″ of garlic head, exposing cloves, and drizzle it with 1 T. of the olive oil.
   

   Garlic Head to Roast

3. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until garlic is soft.
4. When garlic is done, heat remaining olive oil in saucepan.
5. Squeeze garlic cloves from skin into saucepan, mashing garlic with spoon into olive oil.
6. Add flour and stir until paste-like.
7. Whisk in milk and add herbs, salt and pepper.
8. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until thickened.

Pizza Ingredients:

Pizza Ingredients

• 1 leek (Pure Sprouts)
• 6 shiitake mushrooms (Mother Earth mushrooms via Pure Sprouts)
• 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese (Groffdale Meadows Dairy)
• black pepper to taste
• 1 pizza crust
• 1 c. roasted garlic cream sauce

Pizza Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. (If using pizza stone, put it in cold oven and allow to preheat)
2. Roll out pizza dough to 14″ round and place on cornmeal coated pizza peel or baking sheet.
3. Spread sauce over pizza crust.
4. Slice white part of leek and shitakes, then sprinkle them over sauce.
5. Grate cheese over vegetables and sprinkle with pepper.
6. If using pizza stone, slide pizza from peel onto stone, or place baking sheet into oven and bake pizza for 13-18 minutes, or until crust is done to your liking.
7. Serve hot with any leftover cream sauce for crust dipping!

Leek & Shiitake Pizza