Smoked Mozzarella, Red Potatoes, Rosemary & Basil Pizza

Trader Joe’s knows our secret. When we’re feeling lazy, we make pizza with their pizza dough. Now the whole world knows. Or at least you do. Even if you’re using TJ’s surprisingly good dough, this homemade pizza is super good to make at home. Smoked mozzarella and potatoes add a serious depth and richness to this meat-free pizza. Add a bottle of red wine, and a salad if you’re feeling healthy.

Pizza with the First Layer of Toppings

Pull the dough out of the fridge and let it warm up to room temp, out of its plastic bag. Make it into a nice ball, resting on semolina flour.

How to make the pizza dough. This is very important. Take your first three fingers, and press the dough ball down in the center. Flip it over, add more semolina flour. Take care not to press the center. Keep the dough ball in as much as a circle as you can. Once the dough reaches a six inch radius, place it over your knuckles and work the thick rim around in a circle as the gravity helps to stretch the dough. Slap it against your hands while rotating. Fling it in the air with your fingers against the rim, spinning it. When the dough lands, you want it to land on your index finger on the rim of the dough, not the center. It will stretch out, the midle will be thin. Put it back on your pizza peel over a nice layer of semolina flour. And THEN you can add your ingredients.

For the topping, par boil 2 red potatoes (half-cook them in some boiling water). Saute onions in olive oil until translucent; then add 2 cloves chopped garlic and 2 cups of chopped mushrooms, sauteing until the mushrooms release their liquid. Add some chopped rosemary in with the mushrooms.

Adding the Basil to the Pizza

Pat a layer of olive oil onto the pizza dough and sprinkle on chopped garlic. Then sprinkle on half the grated smoked mozzarella and the par boiled potatoes. Smooth on the mushroom and onion mixture.

The Smoked Mozzarella Layer

Put on the basil leaves, and then sprinkle on the other half of the mozzarella. Put in an oven pre-heated to 450. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and brown – about 20 minutes.

Smoked Mozzarella Pizza, Fresh From the Oven

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