Mexican Pizza Recipe

Mexican Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

For pizza dough:

1 cup warm water PLUS”PLUS” means this ingredient in addition to the one on the next line, often with divided uses
2 1/2 tsps. active dry yeast
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps. warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsps. peanut oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2/3 cup cornmeal plus additional for sprinkling pizza pan

For the sauce:

1 lb. fresh chorizo, casings discarded
2 fresh poblano chilies, roasted and cut into thin strips
1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos, husks discarded
1/4 cup cooked black beans, rinsed if canned
1 thinly sliced small onion
2 tbsps. peanut oil
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 thinly sliced garlic cloves
1 1/2 cup mexican blend cheese or Cheddar, grated
2 thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup packed fresh coriander sprigs, washed, dried, and chopped
1/4 cup drained pimento-stuffed green olives, thinly sliced

Directions:

For the dough: Inside a saucepan, heat half a cup of water up to 110′ F and then transfer water that has been heated to another bowl. Add in the sugar and yeast then let it stand for 5 mins. or just until a layer of foam appears.

Add in the remainder of the water & other ingredients for the dough then put it out on any flat surface that has been lightly dusted with flour and start kneading for 10 mins. until dough becomes elastic and smooth.

Place dough inside a well greased bowl then be sure to turn it so that all sides are coated with oil. Cover it loosely and allow to rise in any warm area just until it has doubled its size (1 hour).

You can also let the dough double in size inside your refrigerator overnight.

To make the sauce: Inside a big saucepan that has water boiling, blanch the tomatillos for a minute then drain them using a colander. Slice up each of the tomatillos in 8 wedge pieces.

In heated skillet, saut� garlic and onions in some oil on medium heat until onions are translucent and soft. Add in the tomatillos then cook on medium heat then stir it occasionally just until tomatillos become soft and the mixture reduces to 1 1/4 cup.

Let the mixture cool and then puree inside a food processor until it is smooth. Place the pureed mix in a bowl and add in salt, coriander and lime juice.

In another skillet, brown & cook the sausages on moderately high flame by stirring until sausage is broken into lumps then cook until they brown.

Place the sausages onto a paper towel for draining excess liquid. Oven should now be preheated to around 525′ F and then place the oven rack on the top shelf.

Lightly sprinkle some cornmeal on a 16-inch perforated pan. Punch dough down then place on any surface that has been lightly dusted with some flour and roll out the dough to a 17-inch round shape. Fit the dough inside the pan and form edges as well then bake for 5 mins.

Evenly spread out sauce on partially baked pizza dough but leave at least half an inch at the edges to serve as border.
Layer with the sausage, beans, chilies, olives, scallions and cheese then bake in the oven for 10 mins. or just until the cheese melts and the crust turns pale and golden in color.

Roasting Peppers: Just char peppers with the use of a long-handled fork on open flame, occasionally turning them from time to time for about 2-3 mins. or just until skins turn black

(you can also broil peppers on a broiler pan under a broiler that has been preheated with the flame around two inches away, turning them for every five mins. and cooking until skins have been charred and blistered).

Place peppers in another bowl then just allow them to steam while covered just until they have cooled down enough for you to hold. Peppers should be whole, just peel peppers starting at the end of the blossom then tops should be cut and the ribs and seeds discarded.