I know you’ll be just as excited for this month’s Recipe Redux theme as I am – pizza party!
Perfect timing, no? With the Super Bowl, awards season, and favorite shows coming back from winter hiatus around the time most New Years resolutions are fizzling, pizza consumption is at a year-round high.
It's hard to think of a more perfect comfort food. Gooey cheese? Check. Bread? Got it. Sense of nostalgia? Absolutely. It's no wonder pizza consistently ranks as one of America's favorite foods.
Now that I'm an adult, my favorite pizza's are in the Neapolitan style, thin and crispy with a lightly charred crust. But as a child, I was a sucker for those thick, doughy personal pan pizza's from Pizza Hut.
Their small size implies they are a perfectly acceptable meal. Glance at the nutrition facts, however, and you'll be shocked to learn it racks in over 600 calories, not to mention a hefty dose of enriched flour, preservatives and an entire days worth of sodium.
Their small size implies they are a perfectly acceptable meal. Glance at the nutrition facts, however, and you'll be shocked to learn it racks in over 600 calories, not to mention a hefty dose of enriched flour, preservatives and an entire days worth of sodium.
Still, the idea of having your own personal pizza, topped just how you like, is pretty appealing. It's probably why those Lunchables pizza kits were so popular, despite tasting nothing remotely like pizza. I'm so excited to share this recipe with you today for a healthy, personal pan pizza that can be whipped up in less than thirty minutes, start to finish. It is possible, my friends.
I was inspired to create this recipe after seeing a picture of a savory Dutch baby on Honest Fare. If you've never heard of a Dutch baby, or a German pancake, is similar to a popover, but in pancake form. Traditionally, it's sweetened with sugar and served with a spritz of lemon and powdered sugar. Omit the sugar and fruit topping and you've got a light, fluffy canvas for all your favorite pizza toppings.
Keep in mind, just like popovers, Dutch babies will fall soon after removing them from the oven. They stay airy for a bit, but you probably want to cook one at a time rather than making a batch of them. Although truth be told, I made a batch and ate the leftovers later, which were not only acceptable but delicious, just not as airy as they are fresh out of the oven.
A few tips for your Dutch baby pizza:
1. Go light on the toppings. Anything too heavy will quickly de-puff your crust.
2. Other than the cheese and maybe a few light toppings (like sun-dried tomatoes or olives), add cooked toppings after you finish baking the crust before serving.
3. Make sure your egg and milk are at room temperature. If you wait till last minute, simple place the eggs and your measuring cup of milk in a bowl of warm water.
4. Once you pour the batter in the skillet, immediately place it in the oven.
5. When sprinkling the cheese on your crust, try not to remove the skillet from the oven. Just be careful not to burn yourself!
Inspired by Honest Fare
1 egg, room temperature
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 cup spelt flour, white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon organic butter
1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
Handful fresh arugula
1/3 cup shaved fennel
2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Place a 6 or 8 inch ovenpoof skillet, preferably cast iron, in the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add 1 teaspoon butter to the skillet and place back in the oven to melt.
Place egg in a blender and blend 30 seconds until fluffy. Add milk, flour and salt and blend for another 30 seconds.
Remove skillet from the oven, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with butter, and pour the batter evenly in the skillet. Place back in the oven and bake about 7 minutes, until the Dutch baby/pizza dough looks puffy and set. Carefully sprinkle cheese and sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the top of the pizza without removing it from the oven. Bake an additional 2 minutes until cheese is melted.
While the pizza is baking, toss together arugula, fennel, olives, lemon juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
When cheese is melted, remove from the oven and top with fennel and arugula salad, drizzling any leftover dressing over the top. Serve immediately.
I was inspired to create this recipe after seeing a picture of a savory Dutch baby on Honest Fare. If you've never heard of a Dutch baby, or a German pancake, is similar to a popover, but in pancake form. Traditionally, it's sweetened with sugar and served with a spritz of lemon and powdered sugar. Omit the sugar and fruit topping and you've got a light, fluffy canvas for all your favorite pizza toppings.
Keep in mind, just like popovers, Dutch babies will fall soon after removing them from the oven. They stay airy for a bit, but you probably want to cook one at a time rather than making a batch of them. Although truth be told, I made a batch and ate the leftovers later, which were not only acceptable but delicious, just not as airy as they are fresh out of the oven.
A few tips for your Dutch baby pizza:
1. Go light on the toppings. Anything too heavy will quickly de-puff your crust.
2. Other than the cheese and maybe a few light toppings (like sun-dried tomatoes or olives), add cooked toppings after you finish baking the crust before serving.
3. Make sure your egg and milk are at room temperature. If you wait till last minute, simple place the eggs and your measuring cup of milk in a bowl of warm water.
4. Once you pour the batter in the skillet, immediately place it in the oven.
5. When sprinkling the cheese on your crust, try not to remove the skillet from the oven. Just be careful not to burn yourself!
Dutch Baby Personal Pan Pizza
Serves 1Inspired by Honest Fare
1 egg, room temperature
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 cup spelt flour, white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon organic butter
1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
Handful fresh arugula
1/3 cup shaved fennel
2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Place a 6 or 8 inch ovenpoof skillet, preferably cast iron, in the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add 1 teaspoon butter to the skillet and place back in the oven to melt.
Place egg in a blender and blend 30 seconds until fluffy. Add milk, flour and salt and blend for another 30 seconds.
Remove skillet from the oven, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with butter, and pour the batter evenly in the skillet. Place back in the oven and bake about 7 minutes, until the Dutch baby/pizza dough looks puffy and set. Carefully sprinkle cheese and sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the top of the pizza without removing it from the oven. Bake an additional 2 minutes until cheese is melted.
While the pizza is baking, toss together arugula, fennel, olives, lemon juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
When cheese is melted, remove from the oven and top with fennel and arugula salad, drizzling any leftover dressing over the top. Serve immediately.
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