Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Four Cheese Pizza


     How to prepare Four Cheese Pizza. this is one of the best homemade pizza recipes. Although there are many variations of this pizza parlor favorite, here's our favorite, with a little roasted garlic to help tone down the heaviness of all that cheese. If you'd like to come up with your own combination of four cheeses, keep this in mind: at least two of them should be semi firm cheeses like Cheddar or Monterey Jack; at least one should be a hard cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano; and none should be a soft cheese like ricotta or goat cheese. Look for roasted garlic cloves at the salad or deli bar of your local supermarket. Recipe makes 1 pizza. Here are ingredients and directions: FOUR CHEESE PIZZA - HOMEMADE RECIPEINGREDIENTS :Yellow cornmeal for a pizza peel or olive oil for a pizza tray or a large baking sheet One recipe homemade dough or 1 pound purchased fresh dough or frozen dough, thawed; or one 12 to 14 inch store bought, pre baked plain pizza crust1 head roasted garlic, cloves separated and their husks removed1 tablespoon olive oil1 teaspoon Dijon mustard4 ounces mozzarella, shredded4 ounces provolone, shredded4 ounces Muenster, shredded2 ounces Pecorino, finely grated1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper BAKING OPTIONS With a pizza stone : Preheat the stone in the oven at 425°F for 30 to 45 minutes; or preheat the stone on a gas grill at medium, indirect heat (about 425°F) for 30 to 45 minutes; or build an indirect, medium- heat fire in a charcoal grill and preheat the stone for the same amount of time. With a pizza tray or a large baking sheet : Preheat the oven to 425°F, a gas grill to indirect, medium heat (about 425°F), or build an indirect, medium heat, well ashed coal bed around the perimeter of a charcoal grill.CRUST OPTIONS Fresh dough on a pizza stone : Dust a pizza peel lightly with cornmeal, then set the dough at its center. Start dimpling the dough, pressing into it with your fingertips as you stretch it slightly, until it's a thick, flattened circle with lots of little ridges. Pick it up by the edge and slowly rotate and stretch the circle until it's about 14 inches in diameter. Set it floured side down on the peel. Fresh dough on a pizza tray or a large baking sheet : Grease either lightly with some olive oil on a paper towel. Lay the dough on the tray or baking sheet and dimple the dough with your fingertips until it's a flattened circle then pull and press it until it forms a 14- inch circle on the pizza tray or an irregular rectangle, about 12 inches long by 7 inches wide, on the baking sheet. A prebaked crust : Place it on a floured pizza peel if you're also using a pizza stone or place the pre baked crust on a pizza tray or a large baking sheet. DIRECTIONS : 1. Puree the roasted garlic cloves, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in a mini food processor until a smooth paste is formed or mash these three together in a small bowl with a fork until paste like and fairly smooth. Spread this mixture evenly over the crust, leaving a ½ inch border at its edge.2. Mix the four kinds of cheese in a large bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the roasted garlic paste on the crust. Sprinkle the nutmeg and pepper over the pizza.3. Slip the pizza from the peel to the heated stone or place the pie on its tray or baking sheet either in the oven or on the grill over indirect heat. Bake or grill with the lid closed until the cheese has melted and just started to turn brown in patches, 16 to 18 minutes. Slip the peel back under the pie to take it off the stone and cool for 5 minutes before slicing or transfer the pie on its tray or baking sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing. To ensure the crust stays crisp, you can also transfer the pie from the peel, tray, or baking sheet right to the wire rack after a minute or so, then continue cooling as directed. Follow the directions and you will be surprised how good this recipe is. Hope you like this Four Cheese Pizza and Bon Apetit.
   
      

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