Squash Blossom Pizza
Wow, we had the best weekend! We stayed away from most of the Fiesta madness I mentioned last week, but had so many other great things going on. Friday was our 5th wedding anniversary, and I think it was our best anniversary yet! I really do have the best husband in the world (sorry ladies) and we had dinner at one of our favorite and most romantic spots in Santa Barbara, the San Ysidro Ranch's Stonehouse restaurant. It's a high end hotel, but worth it if you can ever manage to stay in one of the Ranch's charming cottages or eat in one of the two restaurants.
Sunday the fun continued when my girlfriends and I threw one of our best friends a Parisian themed baby shower. Pictures and details to come soon.
Last week noticed these gorgeous baby zucchini with flowers still attached. Immediately my mind went to Pizzeria Mozza, one of Mario Batali's popular pizza restaurants in LA. Mozza is famous for their Squash Blossom Pizza. I had used fried squash blossoms before, but never used them on a pizza.
Our family loved the result and our almost 4 year old thought eating flowers atop pizza was like eating fairy food.
Squash Blossom Pizza
9 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus
more for drizzling
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
to taste
6 cups flour
2 cups pizza sauce
more for drizzling
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
to taste
6 cups flour
2 cups pizza sauce
60 squash blossoms, stemmed
1 lb. burrata or mozzarella slices (must be very fresh in water)
1. In a bowl, combine 1 tbsp. oil, yeast, sugar, salt, and 2 cups 115˚ water; let sit until foamy, 10–12 minutes. Stir in flour to make a dough. Transfer dough to a floured surface; knead until smooth, 8–10 minutes. Quarter dough; roll each portion into a ball. Put balls on a floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit in a warm place until soft and tripled in size, 2–3 hours.
2. Place a pizza stone on a rack in lower third of oven. Heat oven to 500˚ for 1 hour. Transfer 1 dough ball to a floured 16 1⁄2" x 12 1⁄4" piece parchment paper. Working from center, gently flatten dough with fingertips, leaving edges thicker than middle. Stretch dough to a 10" diameter. Cover dough with a tea towel; let rest for 15 minutes. Brush edges with 2 tbsp. oil. Season dough with salt. Spread 1⁄2 cup pizza sauce over dough, leaving a 1" border. Arrange 15 squash blossoms over sauce in concentric circles. Transfer pizza (on paper) to stone; bake until golden brown, 10–14 minutes. Remove pizza with a spatula. Top with spoonfuls of burrata; drizzle with olive oil. Repeat to make 4 pizzas.
MAKES FOUR 10" PIZZAS
1 lb. burrata or mozzarella slices (must be very fresh in water)
1. In a bowl, combine 1 tbsp. oil, yeast, sugar, salt, and 2 cups 115˚ water; let sit until foamy, 10–12 minutes. Stir in flour to make a dough. Transfer dough to a floured surface; knead until smooth, 8–10 minutes. Quarter dough; roll each portion into a ball. Put balls on a floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit in a warm place until soft and tripled in size, 2–3 hours.
2. Place a pizza stone on a rack in lower third of oven. Heat oven to 500˚ for 1 hour. Transfer 1 dough ball to a floured 16 1⁄2" x 12 1⁄4" piece parchment paper. Working from center, gently flatten dough with fingertips, leaving edges thicker than middle. Stretch dough to a 10" diameter. Cover dough with a tea towel; let rest for 15 minutes. Brush edges with 2 tbsp. oil. Season dough with salt. Spread 1⁄2 cup pizza sauce over dough, leaving a 1" border. Arrange 15 squash blossoms over sauce in concentric circles. Transfer pizza (on paper) to stone; bake until golden brown, 10–14 minutes. Remove pizza with a spatula. Top with spoonfuls of burrata; drizzle with olive oil. Repeat to make 4 pizzas.
MAKES FOUR 10" PIZZAS
recipe adapted from Saveur