urban odds & ends

I made this pizza just yesterday and wow(!), this could become one of my favourite pizzas! It tastes and looks like spring and its - beside of preparing the dough - made in almost no time.

Asparagus Pizza makes on big pizza
adapted from smitten kitchen

Pizza dough (see recipe below)
200g asparagus, shaved
1 ball mozarella, cut into cubes
1 handful of grated parmesan
10 leaves fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 garlic glove, finely sliced
salt & pepper
olive oil

First prepare the pizza dough. I'm using an adapted recipe of Jamie Oliver for years and it's still my favourite. You need for one big bizza 150g strong flour (I use 550), 50g finely ground semolina, 110g lukewarm water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cane sugar, 1 tsp olive oil and 1/3 cube fresh yeast.

In a bowl mix lukewarm water with the yeast and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Let it rest for 10 minutes then pour the olive oil into the yeast-water. In the meantime combine flour, semolina, salt and sugar in a second bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour the yeast-water into it. Now bring the flour gradually from the sides using a fork and swirl into the liquid. Keep going until all flour is incorporated. Put it on a clean, floured surface and kneed well, approximately 10 minutes, until the dough looks silky and smooth. Place the dough in a flour-dusted bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towl and let it rise on a warm and not drafty place until the dough has doubled in size. This should take at least one hour. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it one more time, around 10 seconds. Then you can roll it out or stretch it in a round or oval shape with prefered thickness - I like mine about 5mm high. It doesn't need to look perfect ;) Cover with the kitchen towl and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven as hot as it gets. For me it's 250°C (480°F).Now we can prepare our asparagus. Hold the asparagus stem in your hand and make slices with a peeler. It works best when you shave in the direction away from your body. It's completely fine if the slices aren't the same size or leght. It gives a bit more texture and it gives the pizza a rustic look.
In a bowl toss the shaved asparagus with oil, salt, pepper and garlic slices. You'll see that there's some time left until the 30 minutes are over... then you can wait or you're like me and assemble the pizza :) At first comes a layer of grated parmesan. I make those things without measurment... I just take my microplane and grate the parmesan directly over the pizza. Next comes the mozarella, I love to use buffalo mozarella - it definately has more depth. Now sprinkle with the oregano and at least the asparagus goes on top. Bake pizza on an oiled tray around 10 - 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the asparagus is lightly charred. Enjoy!