Ham and Gruyère pizzaLIAM MOGAN
Colourful toppings including cherry tomatoes, ham and parsley oil stand out on this tonal take on a gourmet pie. The recipe includes enough dough and toppings for two pizzas that, together, can easily serve four people as a main course.
Servings: 2 pizzas
FOR THE CHARCOAL PIZZA DOUGH
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, plus more as needed
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp charcoal powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE PIZZA TOPPING
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, roughly smashed
5 peppercorns
¼ cup flour
6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
3 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
1 large onion, sliced
1 small bunch parsley, stems removed
½ cup olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes
10 slices cooked ham, roughly torn
Salt and pepper
Method
FOR THE CHARCOAL PIZZA DOUGH
In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water and allow to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add flour, charcoal powder, salt and sugar. Mix well with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. If dough seems stiff, add an additional 1 tbsp of water.
Turn onto a clean, floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic but not overly tight, around 3 to 4 minutes. Grease a large bowl generously with olive oil, add dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
FOR THE PIZZA TOPPING
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, bay leaf, 2 garlic cloves and peppercorns to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover and let infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and discard solids.
Clean the saucepan and return it to the heat with the flour and 4 tbsp of butter. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring and being careful not to brown. Remove from heat. Whisk milk into flour and butter until combined. Return to medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in mustard and cheese. Cool and refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 550 F with a sheet pan turned upside down inside (if using a pizza stone, follow manufacturer’s directions). In a frying pan over medium-low heat, melt remaining butter and gently sauté onion until soft but not browned. Season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, chop parsley and remaining garlic with a good pinch of salt. Add olive oil and set aside.
Divide pizza dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the dough until it forms a thin, 12-to-15-inch circle. Carefully remove sheet pan from oven and place dough on the bottom of the pan, keeping the pan upside down. Return to oven and cook for 1 minute or until dough is cooked through. Remove dough from oven and dress with half of the Gruyère sauce, onions and cherry tomatoes.
Return the dough to the oven and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, until pizza is browned and sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and dress pizza with ham and parsley sauce. Cut and serve. Repeat the recipe with remaining dough and toppings.