Squash Blossom Pizza in a Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 leaves basil as garnish fresh to taste
• 2 servings pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 0.3 cup crème fraîche at room temperature ()
• 2 servings kosher salt to taste
• 2 ounce low moisture mozzarella chilled grated ( then coarsely )
• 2 servings olive oil extra-virgin to taste
• 0.5 pound pizza dough homemade store bought ( or )

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• tongs
• oven mitt

Directions

1. Let the dough come to room temperature covered on the counter about an hour or more beforehand. The extra time sitting at room temperature will increase the fermentation giving the dough that pizza parlor tang.
2. Place oven rack in top position.
3. Heat oven to 500 degrees F (or as high as it goes).When ready to make the pizza, brush bottom and sides of a cold 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet with a little olive oil. Use your fingertips to press the dough onto the bottom of the entire skillet. Set aside to rest about 5 minutes. If the dough retracts press it out again and let it rest again. Repeat until it no longer retracts during resting.
4. Brush more olive oil in a ½-inch border all around the edges of dough. Lightly salt dough all over. Dollop crème fraîche into the center and use the back of the spoon to spread evenly, leaving the ½-inch border uncovered.
5. Spread grated mozzarella over the crème fraîche, still leaving the ½-inch border uncovered.Open each slit squash blossom, spreading them flat.
6. Lay 5 blossoms, stem end towards center, in a ring around the edge of pizza. Repeat with another layer of 4 blossoms, forming a slightly smaller ring about 1-inch in from the first. Use the last 3 blossoms in the same manner to form the final ring. Set the dough-lined skillet over medium-high heat until the bottom of dough begins to brown, about 6 minutes. It need not be cooked all the way through.
7. Transfer skillet to heated oven and bake until crust is golden brown and fully cooked, about 12 to 15 minutes– depending on oven temperature. Watch closely.
8. Remove skillet from the oven and place it on a rack to cool, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove pizza from pan using tongs and an oven mitt. Give it a good grind of black pepper and a drizzle of very good extra-virgin olive oil.
9. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Slice and serve warm.Like this:Like Loading...