The sun is setting and I’m dreading the group of tourists I see excitedly pointing to our cafe. I’m tired of giving out tastes of gelato and explaining where the bathroom is as my caffeine crash quickly begins. Then in walks my peace with a huge grin and two deep dimples. He takes a seat in the corner and I blush as I constantly catch his eyes staring right back at mine. He stays the remaining two hours until we close, helps us clean up, and as I wipe sweat off my face and coffee stains off the tables, I look-up to find him standing outside the window holding a sign that says “I like you.”
That was part of an email I sent to my friends just a few short weeks after I took the risk of moving across the country to date my now husband. It was almost 5 years ago and I worked a summer job at a local cafe, where I first became hooked on Americanos, learned the importance of fresh mozzarella cheese and decided this was a man I wanted to keep around – three things that have made my life so much better. Oh and It has almost nothing to do with the following recipe except that you really need to make sure the cheese is fresh; I just have learned that you, my readers, seem to like the posts that involve a little romance so I thought I’d throw that excerpt in for your reading pleasure. :)
Caramelized Onion, Artichoke and Mushroom Pizza
Dough Ingredients:
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/4 cup flaxseed
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 packet rapid rise yeast or 3/4 tbs. rapid rise yeast
1/2 tbs. salt
1/8 cup vital wheat gluten
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
Toppings:
1-2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 onion, sliced
About 5 artichoke hears, quartered
About 8-10 button mushrooms, sliced
Pizza/tomato sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Oregano, to taste
Parsley, to taste
Directions:
1. First make bread: whisk together flaxseed, flour, yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten in a large bowl. Add liquid ingredients and mix without kneading (I use a wooden spoon or my hands). You may need to use wet hands to mix everything together.
2. Cover with a cloth and allow dough to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. If you want to use it later in the week, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3. Shape bread into desired flatbread shape. All the loaf to rest, loosely covered, for 40 minutes (or 90 if using refrigerated dough).
3. Shape bread into desired flatbread shape. All the loaf to rest, loosely covered, for 40 minutes (or 90 if using refrigerated dough).
4. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat oven to 450 degrees with baking stone placed in middle rack.
5. Prepare the topping by heating 1 tbs. olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion and cook about 7-10 minutes.
7. Flatten dough with hands and/or rolling pin onto a wooden pizza peel that is dusted with flour (I used a silicon mat). Cover the dough with the tomato sauce, caramelized onions and toppings. Sprinkle with seasonings.
8. Dust cooking stone with corn meal and quickly slide dough onto stone and cook for about 15 minutes, until slightly browned. Allow pizza to cool slightly, serve and enjoy!
~What has been your favorite job?
