Pizza for You

Found this recipe here & fell in love. Let's face it--anything mini or personal size just wins my heart. This is my weekend tester recipe!

Joy’s Mini Pizza Bowl (Serves 4)

Things you’ll need for the pizza:

1 package of large white mushrooms (cut off the stems and chop in quarters)
1 shallot (sliced thin)
1 bunch of basil (sliced in strips)
1 package of pre-cut pepperoni (optional)
a mix of cheeses (mozzarella, jack, provolone, etc.)
your favorite pre-made tomato sauce
dough (you can buy it pre-made or make your own with my recipe below)
4 small ceramic bowls or ramekins that are oven-safe

Things you’ll need for the dough (if you want to make your own):
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast (10g)
1 teaspoon of sugar (5g)
1-1/3 cups of lukewarm milk (315ml)
2-1/2 cups of all purpose flour (310g)
1 teaspoon of salt (5g)
1 tablespoon of olive oil (15ml)

The dough:

Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in a bowl and mix. Set aside for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Add the flour, salt, and oil to the yeast mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms. Knead with hands on a lightly floured surface for minutes or until smooth and elastic. You can add flour if the dough gets too sticky. Return to the bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. While you’re waiting for this, you can get started on the toppings…

The toppings:
Sauté the mushrooms, basil, and onions with a little olive oil. Add some salt, pepper, and garlic as you like. Once lightly cooked, set aside in a bowl. Don’t cook this too much as it will continue to cook in the oven later.

Fill the pizza:
Preheat the oven to 375F/190C degrees.
Once the dough has risen, cut it into 4 quarters with a large, sharp knife. Knead each section for another minute or so, then flatten to about 1/4″ thickness (3/4cm). The circle of dough should be a bit larger than the opening of the bowls you’ll be using so that it can cover the top completely.

Now, here’s the fun part. Add toppings to each bowl alternating cheese, sauce, and other toppings. You should be able to fit two layers of each…so for example…sautéed mushrooms, pepperoni, sauce, cheese, then repeat…top it off with the flattened dough which should sit right on top of the bowl and overlap the edge a bit just like a pie crust. Brush the top of the dough with a bit of olive oil.

Place the bowls on a baking pan and pop into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bread is a light golden brown. Once they’re done, invert each bowl upside down on a large plate (since you’ll need a fork and knife to eat this), and use a spoon to help nudge the edges of the crust off the bowl. It should come out pretty easily. Top with ground pepper and more basil if you’d like.