Mushroom Pizza Bianco with Leek Garlic Cashew Cream

With most being still stuck inside, it seems that many folks have been taking their bread baking skills to the internet, and even challenging others to try their hand at a loaf of sourdough or a mug of Dalgona coffee. It’s been such a pleasure learning to make bread this spring. I was given a 10-year-old starter in February by a friend in New York. I made some feeble attempts at bread making until I took an online class from our local master baker Don Guerra from @barriobread and was thrilled with the results! His website includes a free course on how to make pizza dough and it’s well worth the effort to watch and learn.

This recipe is inspired by or local wood-fired pizzeria Stop 50 in Michiana Shores. We almost always order their wild mushroom pizza! Feel free to mix and match your favorite mushrooms. If wild mushrooms aren’t available in your market, use Cremini mushrooms. Fresh oregano, rosemary, a little truffle oil, and leek garlic cashew cream round out our toppings.

Mushroom Pizza Bianco with Leek Garlic Cashew Cream

Make the pizza dough – In a medium mixing bowl, add the water, yeast, flour, and salt. Mix together using your hands until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Cover and let rest at room temperature (about 72˚) 18 hours.

Stretch and fold the dough – Lightly flour a surface and turn the dough out. Dust the top with flour. Lightly stretch out one side of the dough then fold over. Repeat with the remaining three sides of the dough. Let rest for 15 minutes

Preheat the oven to 500˚ Note – It’s impossible to replicate a pizza cooked in an 800˚ oven at home in a 500˚ oven! A pizza stone works well. If you don’t have a pizza stone, your pizza crust might not have the crispy-chewy crust that pizza cooked in a high heat oven has. Preheated cast iron skillets can be used instead of a pizza stone, which is what I recommend.

Make the leek garlic cream – In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped leeks. Cover and cook over for 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking 5-7 more minutes. Scrape into a food processor. Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Make the pizza – On a floured surface, divide the dough into two pieces. Stretch the dough to two circles, about the same size as your cast iron skillets. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut two 12’’ x 12’’ pieces of parchment and dust with cornmeal. Place the dough on the parchment pieces and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and onion powder. Spread the leek garlic cream over the dough and top with mushroom slices.

Remove the cast iron skillets from the oven. Carefully transfer the pizzas on parchment paper to the cast iron skillets. Bake for 10-14 minutes. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with a little truffle oil, scatter with fresh herbs, and dust with cashew parmesan.

makes one large rectangular pizza or two round pizzas

PIZZA DOUGH

  • 250 grams 00 flour
  • 180 grams of filtered water
  • 1 gram active dry yeast
  • 7 grams Maldon salt

LEEK GARLIC CREAM

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped leeks
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • ⅔ cup raw cashews
  • 1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Maldon salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

OTHER TOPPINGS

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder 
  • 8 oz wild mushrooms, sliced

GARNISHES

  • truffle oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • cashew parmesan