Robiolo Pizza Recipes

PIZZA WITH SHAVED ASPARAGUS AND ROBIOLA

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour and the salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in an additional 2 cups flour; continue adding flour (up to 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until the dough comes away from the bowl but is still sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead with lightly floured hands. Start by slapping the dough onto the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand and pushing it away from you with the other. Fold the dough back over itself (use a bench scraper or a wide knife to help scrape dough from surface). Repeat until it's easier to handle, about 10 times. Finish kneading normally until the dough is smooth, elastic and soft, but a little tacky, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 3 hours.
• Press it with your finger to see if it's done; an indent should remain. Gently remove the dough from the bowl and divide in half. Roll each half into a ball and put on a lightly floured baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
• Prepare charcoal in a chimney starter (allowing the charcoal to burn until all the charcoal is covered with a thin layer of gray ash). Add to the grill, creating a two-level fire by spreading the coals out over half the grill bottom, piling them up in a mound 3 briquettes high, and leaving the other half with no coals.
• Stretch and shape each ball of dough into a rough 12-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn onto the grill, oiled-side down, over direct heat. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until nicely charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip, close the lid and grill another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the pizza to a baking sheet that will fit on the covered grill. Spread half of the robiola over the top. Return the pizza on the baking sheet to the grill, cover and let warm a few minutes just to melt the cheese. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Scatter the shaved asparagus and then the Romano shavings over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the lemon zest over the top, then the parsley leaves and drizzle with olive oil.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and topping ingredients.

ROBIOLA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly oil one 14-inch pizza pan; set aside.
• Set one quarter of the dough aside, and cover with plastic wrap for another use. Working on a lightly floured surface, use fingers to flatten and stretch dough into a rough 8-inch circle. Transfer to prepared pan. Continue pressing dough outward until it fits just inside rim of pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Poke the dough with a fork to prevent it from inflating. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove baked dough from oven. Using a bread knife, split dough in half horizontally. Spread the insides of the bread with robiola. Cover with top half of dough. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon truffle oil. Return to oven for 5 minutes
• Remove pizza from oven. Drizzle with remaining 1 teaspoon truffle oil, season with pepper, and serve immediately.

WARM ROBIOLA CHEESE WITH PINE NUTS, OLIVES, AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Mix together peppers, pine nuts, olives, raisins, oregano, and oil. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, let cheese stand at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake cheese in an ovenproof serving dish until just starting to melt around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Top with relish. Garnish with oregano. Serve immediately. (Reheat cheese in oven for about a minute if it starts to set.)

ROBIOLA PIZZA WITH WHITE TRUFFLE OIL

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together yeast, oil, sugar, and about 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir in remaining water. In large bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, and salt. With mixer on low speed stir in yeast mixture and blend until mixture forms a dough. With mixer on medium speed knead dough, adding enough of remaining 1 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Put dough in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk, and punch down. Divide dough into 5 balls.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out each ball of dough into a 9 1/2-inch round and stack, lightly floured, between sheets of parchment paper. Dough may be made 8 hours ahead and chilled, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
• Preheat oven to 550° F
• Cut mushrooms into 1/4-inch dice. Quarter zucchini lengthwise and cut off seed core. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch dice and in a bowl toss together with mushrooms, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread 1 cup Robiola on each round of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cornmeal on each of 2 baking sheets and transfer 1 pizza to each. Scatter about 2/3 cup mushroom mixture over each pizza and bake in batches in lower third of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is crisp and golden.
• Transfer pizzas to plates and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon truffle oil. Top and bake remaining pizzas in same manner.

ROBIOLA AND TRUFFLE PIZZA

Steps:

• About 30 minutes before baking the pizza, preheat the oven to 500° or 550°F.
• Place the cheese in a small bowl and add the garlic. (If using goat cheese, add a spoonful or two of cream or milk to make it spreadable.) Mash the cheese and garlic until blended.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to an 8- to 9-inch circle. With a fork, pierce the dough all over the top. Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with flour. Place the dough on the peel, shaking it once or twice to make sure it does not stick. If it does, lift the dough and dust the peel with more flour.
• When the dough is browned underneath and slightly puffed, remove it from the oven and place it on a cutting board. Protect one hand with an oven mitt while you split the dough into 2 layers with a serrated knife. Remove the top layer and spread the bottom with the cheese mixture. Replace the top and press it lightly. Slide the pizza back into the oven for 2 minutes more, or until the top is lightly browned.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with truffle oil, if using. Cut and serve.

SLOW-COOKER PIZZA RAVIOLI MIX UP

Steps:

• Spray bottom of 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Line side of slow cooker with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.
• In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up sausage with spoon, until no longer pink; drain. Place sausage in large bowl. In same skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked and onion is tender; drain. Add beef mixture and 1 jar of the pasta sauce to bowl with sausage; stir to combine.
• In slow cooker, spread half of remaining jar of pasta sauce to cover bottom. Layer with half of the ravioli and half of the meat mixture. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and half of the pepperoni. Repeat layers.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 3 hours. Sprinkle with olives before serving. Garnish with basil.

BRICK-OVEN PIZZA (BROOKLYN STYLE)

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in salt and cold water, then stir in the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into two pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using.
• Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.
• Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and stretch gradually until it is about 14 inches in diameter, or about as big around as the pizza stone. Place on the floured peel. Place thin slices of mozzarella over the crust, then grind a liberal amount of black pepper over it. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Randomly arrange crushed tomatoes, leaving some empty areas. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
• With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.
• Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Sprinkle a few basil leaves randomly over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

BOBOLI PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place crust on a slightly greased baking sheet or pizza pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the oil, pepper, and garlic.
• Brush generously over the crust.
• Scatter the tomato, oregano, and cheese onto the crust.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese melts.