Wild Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Smoked Salmon Pizza

I needed another meatless dish for Friday and decided pizza sounded really good. I was inspired by a Cooking Light recipe for Mushroom Pizza but ended up adapting it to my own tastes. I would love to make it again with prosciutto as recommended by Cooking Light. The recipe turned out really well. The pizza dough was really good, more of a crispy flat bread style dough versus a traditional pizza dough. This pizza is complimented perfectly by a glass of Pinot Noir!

Here is the original recipe with my changes noted:

Wild Mushroom Pizza
Recipe as Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Basic Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I substituted an Italian Cheese Blend)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (I substituted Smoked Salmon)
I added several dollops of roasted garlic and basil goat cheese
I also added arugula
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I omitted)

Position one oven rack in the middle setting. Position another rack in the lowest setting, and place a rimless baking sheet on the bottom rack. Preheat oven to 500°.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Remove plastic wrap from Basic Pizza Dough; discard. Brush remaining 1 teaspoon oil evenly over dough. Remove preheated baking sheet from oven; close oven door. Slide dough onto preheated baking sheet, using a spatula as a guide. Bake on lowest oven rack at 500° for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

Spread mushroom mixture in an even layer over crust, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Top with cheese(s). Slice prosciutto crosswise into thin strips (I crumbled and added the smoked salmon)3

; sprinkle over pizza. Bake on middle rack an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese melts. Sprinkle with fresh parsley (arugula). Cut into 12 wedges.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Basic Pizza Dough:

2 teaspoons honey
1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces), divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons stone-ground yellow cornmeal

Dissolve the honey and yeast in 3/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If the indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)

Roll dough into a 12-inch circle (about 1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a rimless baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Lightly spray surface of dough with cooking spray, and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough in refrigerator for up to 30 minutes. Bake according to recipe directions.