Mushroom Three Cheese Pizza

[mific]

Mushrooms always used to be an autumn thing when I was a kid and we went mushrooming, so I'm calling this an autumn recipe. The cheese is idiosyncratic to me, as I dislike "stringy" cheese like mozzarella, but swap in mozzarella for the cheddar if you prefer. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes  | Cook Time: 10 min  | Servings: 1 x 12 inch pizza 

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cremini or button mushrooms, thickly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

pre-bought plain GF pizza base

2 good handfuls grated sharp cheddar 

1/2 cup crumbled soft blue cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta

 

Directions:

Preheat a hot oven. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic, salt and pepper and herbs, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. 

Put the (thawed or freshly cooked) pizza base on the oven tray, top with most of the cheddar, then spread the cooked mushrooms on top. Sprinkle over the crumbled blue cheese and feta. Add the remaining cheddar, more black pepper, plus a little salt if wished. 

Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses have melted.

Let it cool a little, then slice and serve.

 

If you want to make your own base:

1.5 cups of all purpose GF flour, plus more for sprinkling

1 rounded tsp xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1/2 Tbsp instant yeast (or 3/4 Tbsp active dry yeast)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp table salt 

1/4 cup olive oil (plus more for brushing)

1/2 to 3/4 cups warm water 

Combine all the dry ingredients in bowl or food processor/stand mixer and mix. Add the oil, then trickle in the water while mixing or pulsing food processor, until the dough comes together. Turn the mixer to high speed or your food processor on and mix well until the dough is no longer a ball but has begun to appear whipped. Transfer the dough to an oiled container with a tight-fitting lid or a greased bowl, spray lightly with cooking oil spray, and cover tightly. Place in a warm, draft-free area to rise until it’s about 150% of its original volume (about an hour), or refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to make the pizza, preheat a baking sheet in a hot oven. 

If you’ve refrigerated the dough, work with it straight from the refrigerator. If you haven’t, place the tightly sealed dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes before working with it, as it’s easiest to work with when chilled. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the top with a bit more flour to roll it out. Transfer the rolled-out base to a large piece of parchment paper and spray or brush the top with olive oil. Using a flat surface like a cutting board, transfer the dough to the baking sheet in the hot oven and bake it for 5 minutes, or until the crust has begun to crisp on the underside.

Remove the crust from the oven. At this point, the parbaked crust can be cooled, wrapped tightly and frozen for at least one month. Just defrost it at room temperature, and continue with the recipe.