Level up your pizza night with a touch of forest magic! This fungi-fueled pie brings cozy autumn vibes to the table—loaded with garlicky white sauce, a medley of wild mushrooms, potatoes, melty cheeses, fresh arugula, and a drizzle of fiery pepper oil.
Author:
Lollygag
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
1 Packet of Rapid Rise Yeast
¾ Cup Warm Water
1 ½ Tsp. Sugar
2- 2 ¼ Cups Bread Flour
¼ Tsp. Garlic Powder ( We used Trader Joes Citrus Garlic Powder)
¾ Tsp. Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Toppings
1 Cup -Wild mushrooms (we used shiitake and porcini and chanterelles for a more decadent version when in season)
1 Cup Alfredo Sauce (We used Trader Joes)
¼ Tsp. Italian Seasoning
¼ Tsp. Oregano
1 Small New Potato- thinly sliced with a mandolin
¼ Cup Italian cheese blend- shredded
¼ Cup Fresh Parmesan cheese-shredded plus more for garnish
¼ Cup Mozzarella cheese-shredded
½ -¾ Cup Fresh Mozzarella cheese
1 Large garlic clove peeled- finely grated or chopped
½ Cup Sun dried tomatoes- homemade or store bought
½ Cup Pancetta-chopped (optional if you prefer vegetarian)
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 -¼ Cup Cornmeal- for pizza stone
Garnish
Fresh Parmesan cheese- shaved or shredded
Chili Pepper Oil- Optional but recommended to add a bit of heat!
1 Cup Fresh Arulula
Directions
Pizza Dough Prep
Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large food processor for with a pizza dough hook (or alternatively a large mixing bowl.)
Let sit for 1-2 minutes, then add 1 cup of flour, salt, olive oil and garlic powder.
Pulse a few times until combined, then add another cup of flour.
Continue to pulse until fully combined adding a bit more flour if needed until the dough is slightly sticky and elastic- pulling away from the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been generously greased or brushed with olive oil.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with olive oil to keep from sticking.
Place your bowl in a warm -draft free place to rise. * I like to turn the oven on low heat about 270 F. and place my bowl on top of a cookie sheet on the stove top so that it gets a bit of heat.
Let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Assembly
Once the oven is to temp- Preheat the oven to 445 degrees F.
If using a pizza stone- preheat it in the oven for about 15 minutes while you prep your pies or to your pizza stone’s specific instructions for prep.
Prep/gather your toppings.
Using a grate plate, grate the garlic as far as you can -then chop the rest and add to your pizza sauce along with the Italian and Oregano seasoning. (See Notes)
Carefully, thinly slice your potato with a mandolin- these should be think like making potato chips.
Divide the pizza dough into 2 equal balls and leave one in the greased bowl -covered until use.
Sprinkle a bit more flour onto a clean surface or mat and gently roll out the pizza dough ball a couple of times to form a round 12” circle or rectangle shape if desired- then continue to use clean hands to press it out into your pie shape.
Once the stone is ready- carefully remove it from the oven and sprinkle some cornmeal over the surface- this helps to prevent the crust from sticking.
Next, gently place your first pizza dough onto the stone- being careful not to touch with fingers (ouch!)
Then, ladle a generous amount of sauce into the center of the dough and carefully smooth out to the edge. (You can use however much sauce you prefer.)
Sprinkle some shredded Mozzarella, Italian cheese evenly over the pie.
Add the sun dried tomatoes and pancetta if using and layer the potato slices on top.
Tear off little chunks of fresh Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle over the pie and sprinkle a little salt and pepper if desired over the top.
Carefully return the stone to the oven and let bake for about 10-13 minutes or until desired char or browning of cheeses and crust.
When done, remove the stone from the oven and use a baker’s peel or large spatulas to slide the pizza onto a cutting board or serving plate.
Add a big handful of fresh Arugula on top, drizzle with the chili oil, and finally- shave or grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top.
Repeat process with the 2nd pie or save the dough for another day- this can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days. (See Notes.)
Cut the pizza with a pizza slicer and serve warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Note
• You can also make this with a pink sauce by adding 2 Tbsp of tomato sauce to your Alfredo sauce or go all red.
• Feel free to get creative with your mushrooms- whatever is your fave or in season.
• You can also experiment with cheeses here- Gruyere and Parmesan is also a great combo!
• Note on crust: You can use regular All purpose flour instead of bread flour if you would like a fluffier crust- bread flour tends to give you a crispier crust.
• If your stone is big enough you can do both pizzas together, but try not to crowd them.
• If you do not have a pizza stone, you can use a wide rim pizza pan instead.
How to tell if the pizza dough has turned bad:
Smell: A strong alcohol-like smell is a sign the yeast has eaten all the sugars and the dough is past its prime.
Texture:The dough will feel slack, wet, and sticky and a little grey.
Appearance: If it looks "okay," it may still be workable, but it's best to check the smell first.
