Tags
balsamic vinegar, Fontina, garlic, mushroom, pizza, portobello
Packing up for a move is quite a pain. It’s been a while since I last moved, and it’s amazing what all has accumulated over the years! At first, I was looking forward to packing as a chance to go through everything and toss what we no longer need. But after days of packing (and I only have a 2 bedroom apartment), I’m over it and I’m not having fun anymore! Hehe. A few more days and it will all be over… then it’ll just be time to unpack it all!
But once my pizza stone is unpacked, I have some pizza dough all ready and I can make this awesome pizza again! For those of you who have been fortunate enough to try a pizza from BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, this pizza what inspired by one of their Chicago deep dish pizzas. Theirs consists of balsamic portobello mushrooms and carmelized onions. Not being a big onion fan, I omitted the onions and went straight for some mushrooms tossed with balsamic vinegar, parsley, and thyme for some tang and fresh herb flavor. Top it off with some nutty Fontina cheese, and you have yourself a delicious, and seemingly fancy, pizza!
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Balsamic Portobello Mushroom Pizza
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ pound baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon parsley
8 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
Pizza dough, unbaked
Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven, if using. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.
While the oven is heating, heat olive oil until shimmering in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and salt, and toss mushrooms to completely coat them. Cover the skillet and let the mushrooms sweat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and allow to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.
Meanwhile, Let the dough relax for at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes before beginning to work with it. Lightly sprinkle parchment paper or a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. For a little garlic flavor, add some granulated garlic to the cornmeal or flour. Transfer the dough to your prepared surface, and shape the dough until it has a 12-inch diameter. Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil.
Spread the mushroom mixture over the pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch border uncovered, then sprinkle with Fontina cheese. Slide the dough onto the heated stone, or place your baking sheet or pizza pan into the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and serve.
Source: Inspired by BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
A Dash of Sugar and Spice 