Over the past 30 years I traveled to Chicago many times. Pizzerias like Burt’s and Pequod’s made cast iron pizzas where the cheese was caramelized around the edges. Eight years ago I introduced cast iron pizzas to my menu at Capo’s and they were an instant hit. We make several types, and two years in a row a cast iron won first place in baking at Pizza Expo. The first winner was Matt Molina. At the time, competitors and pizza lovers didn’t know what a cast iron pizza was. It was very similar when Shawn Randazzo won for his Detroit pizza the year before, and a renaissance began.
Tomato season is here and my tomatoes came into my garden early so I picked some for this recipe. The combination of the many different tomatoes, peppery goat cheese, fresh mint, simple syrup and caramelized cheese makes a delicious pizza. Enjoy.
Summer fresh
Author: Pizza today
Type of recipe: pizza
- 1 22-24 ounce ball of dough
- Medium ground cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon bacon or lard
- 1 tbsp EVOO for pan
- Fine rain EVOO
- 6 ounces tomato sauce (heated)
- 1 ounce grated provolone cheese
- 6 ounces shredded part skimmed mozzarella
- 3 ounces shredded white cheddar
- 12 – 14 giant white beans (pre-cooked and or pickled)
- ½ sliced ​​serrano or jalapeño pepper
- 12-16 quarters (or cut in half) cherry tomatoes (yellow, orange, red)
- 7 thin slices of beef or heirloom tomatoes
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- Pinch Fleur de Sel
- ½ cup fine sugar
- ½ cup of water
- Grease the inside of a 12- to 13-inch cast iron skillet with bacon or shortening.
- Add the olive oil and spread this into the bacon or cooking fat.
- Dust your dough with a generous amount of cornmeal on a separate surface.
- Put the dough in the pan.
- Use your fingertips to push the dough outwards into the pan to the edge.
- Place your pan and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until the dough has risen slightly.
- Place the skillet in a 500 to 525 F oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Heat water, sugar and mint in a saucepan on a stove over medium heat until you make a simple syrup. Remember to save a piece of mint as a garnish. Set both aside.
- Blend the goat cheese and freshly ground pepper and set aside.
- Add mozzarella, cheddar and provolone cheeses on top and around the sides of the pizza.
- Make sure the cheese is spread out and packed to the end.
- Put your pizza in the oven and bake until the dough is brown and the cheese is caramelized around the edges.
- Carefully chisel the sides of the pizza from the cast iron and remove the pizza.
- Cut into six slices and spread the sauce, leaving a ¼-inch border.
- Add the seven slices of beef or heirloom tomatoes.
- Add beans, cherry tomatoes, peppers, EVOO and salt.
- Finish with small dollops of pepper goat cheese and a drizzle of simple mint syrup.
- Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and serve.
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