Fresh Tomato Pizza with Avocado (and Pizza Dough Recipe)

*Tips to try: I don't have a baking stone so I looked up tips online to cooking without. Try baking the pizzas on a cookie sheet with parchment paper underneath. After 8 minutes slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and put directly on the oven rack for the rest of the cooking. You can also take the parchment paper out from under 2 minutes after the 8 minutes since the parchment paper will get pretty brittle and crispy. This way it is an easy transfer to the oven without the mess of the cornmeal on bottom. This definitely seems worth trying.

*My own thoughts: Oddly enough, I almost wouldn't miss the avocado/lime mixture if it weren't there. A plain tomato pizza would be amazing. You could put other things on top of the oil mixture and sliced tomatoes. I bet mushrooms, olives, bacon pieces, etc. would be great. Or I could always try just squirting some lime juice and chopped cilantro on top.

*Another thought: I hear that you can use feta cheese instead of queso fresco although feta cheese has a stronger taste. I'm not sure the price difference but I'm pretty sure queso fresco is pretty expensive. I would even just try sprinkling on some regular cheese that I have on hand, it's not that much cheese anyway.

Fresh Tomato Pizza with Avocado
Recipe from A Year in a Vegatarian Kitchen
Serves 2-3 people

Pizza dough recipe (found below)
2 Large ripe tomatoes
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Medium jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
Cornmeal for sprinkling on pizza peel or baking sheet
Salt
3 Ounces queso fresco or farmer cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1 Medium avocado
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves

1. While the pizza dough is rising, place a baking stone on the lower oven rach and heat the oven to 500 degrees for at lesat 30 minutes. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the tomatoes between doubled sheets of paper towels and press lightly to absorb excess moisture. Combine the oil, garlic, and chile in a small bowl.

2. Once the pizza dough has finished rising, cut the dough into two equal pieces. (If cooking two pizzas, double the recipe on top. If cooking one, take the other half of the dough and put into an airtight container and freeze for up to several weeks. Take out of freezer for several hours to thaw.) Turn the remaining half of the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape it into a 12-inch round with your hands. Slide the dough onto a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet that has been dusted liberally with cornmeal.

3. Brush the dough with the oil mixture. Line the dough with slightly overlapping tomatoes, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt to taste and then with the cheese.

4. Slide the pizza from the peel onto the baking stone. Bake until the edges of the crust are nicely browned, 12-15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, halve, pit, peel, and cut the avocado into thin slices. Gently toss the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and salt to taste together in a small bowl.

6. When the pizza comes out of the oven, distribute the avocado slices evenly over the top. Cut the pizza into slices and serve immediately.


Basic Pizza Dough
Recipe from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen
Makes 2 12-inch pizza crusts

1/2 Cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 Cups cold water
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Place the warm water in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add the yeast and stir with fork to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the flour and salt in a large food processor and process for several seconds to combine.

3. Add the cold water to the measuring cup. (You can measure this water directly into the cup, stopping once the total amount of the liquid equals 1 3/4 cups). Add the oil and stir with a fork to combine roughly.

4. Turn the food processor on and add the yeast mixture through the feed tube. Continue to process until the dough comes together and forms a smooth ball, about 30 seconds.

5. Pour a little oil into a large bowl and use your hands to grease the bowl. Transfer the dough to the oiled borl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside and let the dough rise until doubled, about 2 hours. The dough is now ready to be divided and shaped.

*Other pizza dough recipes. For my mom's recipe, click here. For Rachel's recipe, click here.