What is it about pizza that turns any regular ol’ night into a better one? I pondered this while rolling out the dough Friday night. It must be nostalgia for sleep overs and birthday parties, where girls and boys gather around sharing stories and giggling into the night while biting into a hot slice. Or maybe it’s just a basic comfort food that you can feed almost anyone, knowing it will be a hit. Then I thought maybe it’s because everyone has a favorite and these days there seems no wrong way to top a pizza.
I thought about this last one as I started to smear pesto on the first of the four small dough rounds and stopped. I wondered what mustard would be like on pizza? I decided to give it a go thinking it couldn’t be that bad and we would at least have the two with pesto still. I used to do this thing in college where I toasted a bagel, spread on some cream cheese, then a squirt of mustard and topped it all with sprouts. I realized I hadn’t thought of that bagel until that very moment, but the idea of making it into pizza seemed like the perfect thing to do.
I was excited to find out that my homemade mustard worked! I’m sure it will vary slightly depending on the mustard you use, but I encourage you to try this slightly unusual combination, especially those of you who are mustard lovers out there.
This recipe all started from Mark Bittman’s no-work mostly whole wheat pizza dough and it evolved out of what odds and ends I had in the fridge at the moment; broccoli, mushrooms, and red onion. Pizza should always be a comfort food, but every once in awhile it needs to be taken out of its comfort zone and changed up for great results to be found. Enjoy and see what other Food Matters Project members made here and see the full recipe from Salt and Pepper.
Broccoli, Mushroom & Mustard Pizza / makes 4 personal size pizza’s or 2 large
pizza dough adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
I really wish I had broccolini on hand for this one. Once it arrives at the market, I’m sure Ill be trying it out.
for the dough
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup medium grind cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/3-1/2 cup homemade mustard or your favorite mustard
mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, I used a local variety that’s close to a Parmesan (leave off if you want vegan)
1 head broccoli, cut into bit sized pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper
lemon for serving
Combine the flours, corn meal, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water. The dough should be a bit sticky and wet, if not, add more water or flour, which ever is needed.
Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot to sit for about 6-12 hours. The longer the dough sits, the more complex the flavor will become.
When ready, heat oven to 475F. Dust a clean work surface with a little flour, dived the dough into 2-4 pieces, and roll it out into 8-10-inch rounds. Place it on a cornmeal or lightly floured baking sheet (use a baking stone if you have one). Spread on about 1-2 tablespoons of mustard (double that if making large size) and top with the cheese, onion, mushrooms, and broccoli. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake the pizzas for 12-15 minutes. Squeeze on a bit of lemon just before serving if you’d like.