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Ultimate Arugula Pizza

Arugula pizza
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This arugula pizza features a topping of baby greens! The fresh, peppery flavor is a great contrast to the rich cheese below.

Ingredients

Scale

For the pizza dough*

  • 375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon each dried oregano and garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 264 grams (1 cup – 2 tablespoons) warm water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the sheet

For the arugula pizza

  • 1 1/4 cup pizza sauce (purchased or our favorite Easy Pizza Sauce)
  • 1 cup (3 ounces) shredded smoked gouda cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 4 cups (3 ounces) baby arugula
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the dough (5 minutes): In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, yeast, kosher salt, oregano and garlic powder. Add the warm water and olive oil and stir until flour is incorporated.
  2. Knead the dough (8 minutes): Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
  3. Roll out and rest the dough in a sheet pan (15 minutes): Using floured hands, gently shape the dough into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Add a light sprinkle of flour to the boule. Then roll out dough on floured surface to roughly the shape of the 13×18 sheet pan. Brush 3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom and sides of a standard 13″x 18″ sheet pan. Add the dough and brush it lightly with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes to relax the dough.
  4. Rest the dough again (45 minutes): Press the dough back into the corners of the pan so it evenly covers the pan. Cover and rest 45 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500F.
  6. Bake the pizza dough* without toppings: After the 45 minute rest, bake the pizza dough for 6 minutes without sauce and toppings.
  7. Add the toppings and bake again: Remove the dough from the oven. Add the pizza sauce, smoked mozzarella, fresh mozzarella (torn into pieces), and Parmesan cheese, and top with a few pinches of kosher salt. Take care, since the pan will be hot! Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly brown.
  8. Add the arugula topping: In a small bowl, mix the baby arugula with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle the pizza with torn basil, then add the arugula on top. Cut into pieces with a knife (a pizza cutter doesn’t get all the way to the pan edges) and serve immediately.

Notes

*Or, use store-bought pizza dough for quicker prep. For this method you can skip pre-baking the crust. Here’s what to do: Make our Best Pizza Dough or use storebought dough. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel. Top the pizza as noted above (you can use less cheese since the pizza will be smaller). Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/arugula-pizza/