Read the recipe carefully for yeast amounts. You can start the dough the night before, if that's easier on your schedule, or the morning of. Just be sure to use the right amount of yeast for your plan. Crust adapted from Smitten Kitchen, via Jim Lahey.
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1¼ cups water
Olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced paper thin on a mandoline
1 small onion or shallot, sliced paper thin on a mandolin e
12 white mushrooms, sliced paper thin on a mandoline
About 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced
6 slices deli-style provolone cheese, torn into a few pieces each
about ½ cup loosely packed freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
Instructions
Make the dough:
Either the night before or the morning of, grab a large bowl, and mix together the flour, ⅛ teaspoons yeast (if the night before) and ¼ teaspoon (if the morning of), salt, and water with a spoon. It won't look very manageable, but don't worry! Leave for either 22 hours or 10 to 12 hours, until bubbly and doubled.
Make the pizzas:
About a half hour before you're going to bake, preheat the oven to to 500°F. Place a pizza stone inside, if you have one. Oil two baking sheets.
Combine the zucchini with ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss together, then let them sit for at least 15 minutes, while you do the rest of your prep (longer is fine!).
Turn the dough onto a floured surface; flour your hands too. Touching the dough as little as possible to minimize sticking, break into 2 pieces and shape them into approximate balls.
Stretch one ball of dough into a circle or circle-like shape by picking it up, pulling the edges, and pressing them out on the counter. Don't worry if the shapes look weird. Place the stretched-out dough on the oiled baking sheet. Brush lightly all over with olive oil. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
When you're ready to go, use your hands to squeeze out some of the moisture from the bowl of zucchini. Then wrap the veggie slices in a clean kitchen towel and wring it to squeeze out all the water you possibly can. Wipe out the bowl and return the zucchini to it. Add the onions, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and toss.
Now, grab your crusts again. Scatter the provolone slices on top, leaving a crust around the edge. Pile on the vegetables, smoothing them out so they're more or less even. Dot the cherry tomato slices across the surface. Place the baking sheet in the oven, on the pizza stone if using. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the vegetables are cooked. Remove from the oven and top immediately with the Parmesan cheese. Drizzle on a little more oil, sprinkle on the oregano, and let the pizza rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into pieces (you can do wedges or squares, as you prefer!). Serve hot or room temperature.
Notes
This pizza is great for picnicking. Don't rule it out for other on-the-go eating occasions. It makes a fabulous brown bag lunch, since it's great at room temperature, and I could see packing it for a plane or car dinner too.
Recipe by Big Girls Small Kitchen at http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2015/08/zucchini-mushroom-provolone-picnic-pizza.html