Piadina – Salad Pizza
Pictured on our home page!
Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch
- Cowgirl Chef Paula Disbrowe
Rio Frio, Texas
Recipe notes: At the ranch, we serve this alongside a big bowl of tomatoes and shaved red onion marinated in balsamic vinegar
and olive oil. It’s our Texas trattoria lunch, served al fresco, with goat pasture in view and Italian music piped out onto the patio.
For the pizza crusts:
5 1/2 cups flour, unbleached
2 t. yeast
2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups water
Dissolve yeast in a small amount of water, according to the package instructions. Mix all ingredients in stand mixer until combined
and pulled together into a ball, about two minutes. The dough will not be smooth and elastic like bread dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and
divide into six even pieces. Shape each into a ball and let rest for another ten minutes. Reshape into tighter balls, taking care not to tear the surface. Pour approx. 2 Tbsp.
olive oil onto a baking sheet. Roll each ball in the oil to lightly coat and place on the sheet. Cover the whole sheet with plastic wrap. Let stand for 30-45 minutes at room
temperature, then refrigerate overnight. If you want to do the dough the same day, let stand at room temperature 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until the balls are about double in size and then
refrigerate them for at least an hour.
Preheat oven, with a baking stone to 500 - 550º, as high as your oven will go, for at least an hour. Take the dough balls from the
refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface flatten each one into a disk using your finger tips. Make a fist with your left hand and then drape the disk over it. Place your right
hand, also in a fist, under the dough close into your left hand. Move your right fist away from your left, stretching the dough. Rotate and stretch the disk in this manner until
the dough is thin and approximately 8-10 inches in diameter. Place on a floured peel, or the back of a baking sheet. Brush on a light coat of garlic oil and sprinkle lightly with
coarse sea salt. Slide off onto baking stone and bake until golden brown. Remove to a large plate and bake the remaining dough pieces.
For the garlic-herb oil:
1 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
1-2 branches rosemary (you may use just the stems if you have them leftover)
Add the garlic and rosemary stems to the oil in a small saucepan and heat until the oil just starts to boil. Remove from heat and cool. Remaining oil can be stored in a jar in the
refrigerator for future use.
For the dressing:
2 tbsp. good quality Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 tbsp. lemon juice (approx. 1 1/2 lemons)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad:
12 cups assorted young, tender lettuces (we serve a mix of mesclun, leaf lettuces, mache, and frisee)
2 bunches scallions, chopped
6 oz. Texas goat cheese, crumbled
1 1/4 cups assorted fresh herbs (I like a mix of chervil, dill, cilantro, mint, basil, chives, Mexican mint marigold or tarragon, and Italian parsley.
To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive
oil in a slow, steady stream, until mixture emulsifies. Toss with the salad greens and herbs.
When the shells are baked (or one at a time if you do not mind serving them that way,) heap a generous serving of the salad on each
one, top with crumbled goat cheese, and serve.
