My family and I are shameless groupies for a local pizza place that makes a pie called Harvest Moon. Each time we go, no matter what else we try, Harvest Moon eventually makes its way onto our plates. Rather than replicating the Harvest Moon's thin, crispy crust, I opted to indulge my preference for puffy dough. In lieu of butternut squash, sausage, and onions, I made this recipe my own blend of sweet potato, Italian speck, and shallots. I also dubbed it Cultivation Moon, because Sowing Moon was just too poetic, and I felt it was too early in the season to be basing meals around the harvest.
Followers will be aware of my ongoing love affair with sweet potatoes, so it will come as no surprise that they feature here. The sweetness of shallots married well with the light smokiness of the Italian cured speck, which I prefer to the heaviness of sausage.
There are Italian, German and Jewish varieties of speck, a cured meat I have not used before. There is much variation under the umbrella term "speck," which includes cuts ranging from pork belly to corned beef. What I found was 100% pork with Italian spices and juniper berries.
Going into this project, I correctly predicted that it would function much like pancetta. During the baking process, the speck became crisp as bacon and enhanced the whole without overwhelming the more subtle flavors.
Many other meats or meat alternatives may be substituted for this pie. Prosciutto, jámon, ground beef, or smoked and crumbled tofu are worth a try.
For cheese I opted for Italian parmesan, and given the flavors going on, I recommend sticking with a hard cheese. Finely grated or, in this case, cut into slivers.
Though I love sweet potato here, butternut or a similar squash would also work well. As for the shallots, I prefer their sweeter flavor and easy caramelization, but red onions are perfectly serviceable as well.
The key for this pizza is to maintain the spirit of the four main topping ingredients, and allow yourself to vary within those outlines. It makes it almost infinitely customizable! Anything you like could be brushed over the top to make the pizza extra juicy. My inspiration pie uses brown butter, which I assume must have brown sugar or something equally addictive in it, as there is a lot of sweetness to counter the saltier toppings. Again, I did my own take here, with a sweet maple balsamic drizzle. This goes perfectly with the caramelized shallots.
To mix up the dough a bit, I began with the standard, fluffy dough recipe I used for my inaugural pizza, upped the flour a bit, and added some raw honey. This particular raw honey has traveled half the globe to be here today; it is harvested in Bashkortostan, also known as Bashkiria, Russia, and sold in large, expensive jars that last for months. Well worth the investment in my opinion, but any honey will do.
Crust:
4½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
2¼ tsp active yeast
½ cup warm water [100º - 105º F]
1⅓ cup room temperature water
2 tbsp raw honey
Toppings:
6 shallots
½ large sweet potato, grated
1/4 cup pepitas or sunflower seeds
4 oz Italian speck [about ¾ cup]
12 oz parmesan cheese, slivered
1 tsbp butter
1 tbsp olive oil, plus lots for brushing
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
Prepare the crust. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water and allow to begin foaming [about 5 minutes]. Add the yeast mixture, the additional water, and honey to the flour and mix well. If using a dough hook, this takes about ten minutes. Pause to scrape down the edges of the bowl if necessary.
Once the dough is well mixed and very sticky, turn out onto a floured surface and knead. Quite a bite of extra flour is necessary to get a cohesive dough ball. Knead until the dough is no longer sticking to your hands, about five minutes. Place in an oiled bowl in a warm place, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for one hour.
Heat oven to 500º F. If using a pizza stone, set it on a rack low in the oven to preheat. As the dough rises, prepare the toppings. Slice the shallots into thin rounds and grate the sweet potato. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter into 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the shallots 10-15 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. I leave them in rings because they soften and break up during sautéing anyway. Set aside with the other prepared toppings.
Once the dough is fully risen, punch it down and knead on a floured surface. Split dough into two balls and return to the oiled bowl. Let rise for another 30 minutes. Again, turn out the dough and form into crust with your hands or a rolling pin, whatever works. Each circle should be 12-14 inches in diameter. Lay dough on your pizza stone or baking sheet, and layer on the toppings.
I began with shallots on the bottom, then sweet potatoes, speck, and pepitas or sunflower seeds. Cut the parmesan cheese into thin slivers over the top of the pizza. Brush the crust liberally with olive oil, whisk together the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar, and drizzle it over the top.
Bake each pizza for 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden to your liking. Retain a bit of the balsamic drizzle to drip over the top. Makes two to-die-for pizzas.
No comments:
Post a Comment