The best pizza crust sits around for a while. We learned that from our trip to Virgilio’s Pizzaria in Lakewood. This explains why when I make pizza dough it just doesn’t have the feel in my hands that comes from a crust from our local pizzeria. Abo’s is a local pizza chain that started in Boulder, and has a branch near our house. We can walk or ride there and carry back a large pizza dough in the Tupperware we bring from home (no Styrofoam box that can’t be recycled) and we’re out $4. Well spent.
Three cheese with more Pizza
1 lg. pizza dough
1 tbls. olive oil
2/3 lb. ground beef
1 tbs. French thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 onion, in round thin slices
2 oz. goat cheese
1/4 cup of half & half
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
Stretch the dough to fill a large cookie sheet preferably with small sides (I think you call this a jellyroll pan). I do this by letting the dough hang itself. Width, then lengthwise. My pans aren’t round so I’ve not gotten into the spinning but I can see how it works. I let the dough hang from my hands and forearms until it’s square then let it hang longer to fill the length and then lay it down on the sheet. It’s probably contracted and is too narrow by now, but I carefully pull it out to the sides, tucking it into the edges of the pan. If I’m going for a really thin crust I set something in the middle so that the dough can ease into it’s space while I prepare the toppings.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
For this pizza, Steuart browned hamburger from our cow. He added oregano and thyme, brushed the crust with olive oil, and likewise, the onions. Steuart put these onions in the oven while it was heating.
Mash the goat cheese (if it is a dry variety like our local Haystack Mt. Cheese) with the half & half. Add enough so that the cheese is the consistency of school paste. Brush the goat cheese mixture onto the dough. Spread the meat over the top, add the onions, the mozzarella, the Parmesan cheese and finally the chopped garlic. Cook for 20 minutes and check doneness. If the cheese isn’t browned to your liking let it go a few more minutes.
We served this with a bottle of Italian wine we’d bought on sale at Argonaut Liquors. A 2004 Secco-Bertani Valpolicella Valpantena Ripasso. Drinking the first sip of this wine, it tasted like a thin veil of forest. With the pizza, it was in its element. Elegant velvet.