Dessert Pizza With Variations Grape And Pine Nut Apple And Gorgonzola Mascarpone And Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Recipes

GORGONZOLA AND GRAPE PIZZA

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a cup and let stand until mixture appears creamy on surface, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't appear creamy, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Whisk salt into 1 1/4 cups flour in a large bowl, then add yeast mixture, oil, and remaining 1/2 cup warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough flour (1/4 to 1/2 cup) for dough to begin to pull away from side of bowl. (This pizza dough will be slightly wetter than others you may have made.)
• Knead dough on a floured work surface with floured hands, reflouring when dough becomes too sticky, but using as little flour as possible, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball and dust generously with flour. Put dough in a medium bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap, then let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Shape dough and make topping:
• At least 45 minutes before baking pizza, put pizza stone on oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 500°F.
• Do not punch down dough. Gently dredge dough in a bowl of flour to coat, then transfer to a parchment-lined pizza peel or baking sheet (without sides). Lightly flour parchment (around dough). Pat out dough evenly with your fingers and stretch into a 13-inch round. (Do not handle dough more than necessary. If dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour.)
• Bring Vin Santo with sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes. Add grapes to saucepan and stir gently to coat with syrup, then transfer to a bowl. Add cheeses and pepper to bowl, then stir to combine.
• Assemble pizza:
• Arrange topping on dough leaving a 1-inch border.
• Slide pizza on parchment onto pizza stone. Bake pizza until dough is crisp and browned and cheese is golden and bubbling in spots, 14 to 16 minutes. Using peel or baking sheet, transfer pizza to a cutting board. Cool 5 minutes and remove parchment before slicing.

DESSERT PIZZA WITH VARIATIONS: GRAPE AND PINE NUT, APPLE AND GORGONZOLA, MASCARPONE AND CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• For the dough: Add the water to a bowl. Then add the yeast a little at a time and break up the cube of yeast with your hands. Let the yeast fully dissolve in the warm water and let stand for 2 minutes.
• Add the flour on a smooth work surface and create a well in the center of the flour. Slowly add the yeast-water mixture, olive oil, and salt until the flour has absorbed the liquid. Knead the dough until the mixture becomes an even dough consistency. If necessary, add a little more flour to absorb any excess liquid.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions to make individual-size pizzas. Place on a lightly-floured surface or pan and cover with a cloth. Let rest for about an hour at room temperature or until the dough has doubled in size. Yield: 4 servings
• For the grape and pine nut pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch out the dough and roll out on a lightly-floured surface. Place the grapes cut-side down on the dough. Add the pine nuts and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
• For the apple and Gorgonzola pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch out the dough and roll out on a lightly-floured surface. Top the dough with apples, Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and drizzle with honey. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
• For the mascarpone and chocolate-hazelnut pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stretch out the dough and roll out on a lightly-floured surface. Spread the mascarpone cheese on 1/2 the pizza dough and on the 1/2 spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Fold over. Pinch and roll the opposite ends together. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.