The Rocket Pizza (mushrooms, onions and arugula)
Cooking Time
Prep Time
Difficulty
Cuisine
The ultimate symbol of Italian food has to be the pizza but it’s much more than just another dish: it’s a symbol of good-living, joy, long conversations between friends and sharing with family. Originally from Naples, its traditional preparation method according the Neapolitan pizzaïolos, made its way onto the UNESCO world heritage list in 2017.
The pizza is consumed all over the world and offers infinite possibilities. The pizza we’re proposing today is a tribute to a small plant from the cruciferous family: rocket! Its name comes from the Latin ‘eruca’ but it also goes by arugula, ruchetta, rucola, rouquette or even riquette.
Like they do in Italy, we’ll be adding the rocket at the last moment or even after, once the pizza is removed from the oven, so that the leaves don’t wilt.
This pizza is purposefully made with very little yeast because we want a thin crust, but nothing is stopping you from adding a little more if you prefer your pizza to be fluffier. Ideally prepare your dough a few hours in advance and leave it to rise in a dry place, like the oven (unheated).
PS: Sprinkle the pizza with shredded vegan cheese (Violife works very well) 5 minutes before taking the pizza out of the oven.
The Rocket Pizza
Equipment
- an oven
Ingredients
Pizza dough:
- 225 g flour T55
- 120 ml water
- 6 ml olive oil
- 3 g salt
- 2 g baker’s yeast or a few pinches of dried yeast
Garnish:
- tomato sauce
- 1 tomato
- 1 onion
- mushrooms
- nuts
- rocket
- grated vegan cheese
Instructions
Making the dough with a bread maker
- If you happen to have a bread maker, use the “dough” setting. First pour the liquid ingredients (water and oil) into the machine, as well as the yeast.
- Follow up with the flour and salt. Whichever method you choose to use for this, make sure that the yeast and the salt do not come into direct contact.
- At the end of the program, remove your dough ball and let it rise for an hour or two in a dry place, like the (unheated) oven.
Making the dough without a bread maker
- If you can’t get your hands on a bread maker, mix the flour and salt together a bowl. In a second bowl, dissolve the yeast in water and add the oil.
- Mix the liquids with the flour… 2 grams of yeast is enough for a thin crust pizza.
- Now kneed until you obtain a homogenous dough, which is supple and isn’t sticky.
- Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and kneed the ball of dough for a further few minutes.
- Leave the dough to rise for 1-2 hours in a dry place, such as your (unheated) oven.
Pre-cooking
- Few of us have professional ovens at home and it’s highly recommended that you pre-cook the dough (before adding the garnishes) to avoid it being floppy, uncooked and undigestible.
- Before rolling out your dough, give it another quick kneed to remove any air bubbles. If it’s still slightly sticky, feel free to add a bit of flour.
- Roll out your dough onto an oiled - or baking-paper-covered - baking sheet. Brush a bit of oil over the surface and edges of your pizza dough to get a lovely golden colour,
- Put in the oven for between 5-10 minutes, at 200C. This is just an estimate as all household ovens are different; just keep an eye on your dough! You don’t want it completely done!
Cooking
- Remove your somewhat-done pastry from the oven and garnish with the tomato sauce.
- Slice the tomatoes, onions and mushrooms and spread them over your pizza. Add some nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Return your pizza to a 220C oven for 15-25 minutes (depending on the oven)
- A few minutes before it’s completely done, add a bit of vegan grated cheese.
- Remove your pizza from the oven, salt and pepper to taste, another little drizzle of oil; and finish off with rocket! Buon appetito!
A recipe proposed by Maison Marmite
