Lamb and Roma Tomato Double-Crust Pizza

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

4

Introduction

Lamb is so flavorful that even little bits of it add flavor to salads, soups, hashes, casseroles, and so on. A pizza is also a tasty destination for leftover lamb, in this case in concert with Roma tomatoes, found in many markets year-round and usually with better flavor than other tomatoes. A little chopped rosemary continues the theme begun when grilling the lamb. And for variety’s sake, the pizza is formed with a double crust and makes a handsome presentation. The dough may be made up to four days in advance and refrigerated, to make it easier to prepare the pizza during the week.

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

	1	cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
	~	Pinch of sugar
	2½	tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast
	½	tsp. salt
	3	Tbsp. olive oil
	2½	cups all-purpose flour
	½	cup white or yellow cornmeal

Pizza Toppings

	2	Tbsp. olive oil
	1	Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
	1	cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
	3	Roma (plum) tomatoes, peeled, each cut into 6 slices
	1	cup diced Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb
	1	cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
	2	—3 cups (8 to 12 ounces) shredded jack, mozzarella, Gruyere, Emmenthaler, or Havarti cheese, or a mixture

Steps

1. In a small bowl or 2-cup measure, combine the water and sugar. Stir in the yeast and let stand until the mixture is bubbly. Whisk in the salt and olive oil.

To Make the Dough In a Food Processor

1. Combine the flour and cornmeal in the workbowl fitted with the dough blade. Stir the liquid mixture and, with the machine running, pour the liquid into the flour mixture as fast as it will absorb it without making a sloshing sound (a sloshing sound means you are pouring too fast). Allow a dough ball to form and knead for 60 seconds, adding more flour only if the dough is so sticky that the processor is struggling. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time if there are dry bits of dough loose in the machine. For the best results the dough should be slightly sticky.

To Make the Dough By Hand

1. Place the yeast mixture in a large bowl. In another bowl, blend the flour and cornmeal with a whisk. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until a ball of slightly sticky dough forms. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough, fold it over on itself once, and knead by pressing down on the dough a few times using your knuckles or the base of your palm. Continue to knead for about 5 minutes, flouring the surface and dough only as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

To Make the Pizza

1. Place the dough in a gallon-size plastic bag, squeeze the air out, and seal the bag at the top so that the dough has room to rise. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes or more depending on room temperature. To refrigerate for up to 4 days, open the bag, deflate the dough, return it to the bag as before, and refrigerate. Roll the refrigerated dough out while it is cold.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or deep dish pizza pan with a little cornmeal to make the pizza easier to remove, or use a nonstick pan.
3. Cut the dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. On a floured surface, roll the larger piece out to a diameter 2 inches wider than the pan. Dust the top with flour. Fold in half, then in half again so it looks like a pizza slice. Set in the pan as if it were a slice, and unfold. Adjust the dough so it is centered in the pan. Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over dough. Sprinkle the rosemary and parsley over. Arrange the tomato slices over the dough, spread the lamb pieces around, and top with the cheeses. Roll the remaining dough to the same size as the pan. Lay it on top of the pizza and crimp the dough edges together. Cut a couple of slits in the top and brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over top crust. Bake until the crust is handsomely browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

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