In Praise of White Pizza

I just ate a slice of this for lunch.....and now I want another....and another.

I've caught the madness of Max. Specifically, my mozzarella obsession is manifesting in the form of white pizza. I'm surprised by how much I like white pizza considering my love affair with the tomato as of late (caprese salad, pasta, fresh tomato over spinach omelet). But, a white pizza is all about the cheese, as this basic picture displays, and absolutely demands thin crust (in my opinion). Despite recently moving from Chicago of deep-dish fame, I tend to favor thin-crust pizza. Morever, a couple simple ingredients make for quite an aesthetic statement on a white pizza. I prefer thinly sliced tomato and fresh basil.


This recipe for Vegetable Pizza works on the sauce-less theme and focuses on Mozzarella, and adds a hefty dose of garden bounty to ease your health concerns. Personally, I would simplify it, especially if you are much more concerned with tasting the cheesy-goodness.

Ingredients

16 oz. loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 medium red and/or yellow tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions

On a lightly floured surface, roll bread dough into a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a greased 13-inch pizza pan. (Or use a cookie sheet.) Build up edges slightly. Prick dough generously with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until light brown. Sprinkle 1/2 mozzarella cheese over hot crust. Arrange tomato slices in a circular pattern atop cheese. Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese, garlic and Parmesan (or Romano) cheese. Bake about 12-minutes more or until cheese melts and pizza is heated through.

Yield: 6 servings

Photos compliments of flickr, joshbousel and workingmenarepissed