Chorizo and Onion & Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Pizzas

I think if I had to pick only one food that I had to eat every day, I would very likely pick pizza. It is one of those things that you can reinvent so many different ways and it is almost always good. I decided to use a new recipe for my pizza dough this time around. David Rocco had a show air last week on The Cooking Channel that was completely devoted to pizza! It looked so good that I just had to give it a try. The pizza dough was super easy to make and tasted amazing too! The toppings from these pizzas were just some of my favorite things straight out of my refrigerator. This pizza dough recipe was enough to make one *really* big pizza, but I decided to split it up into two smaller pizzas so we had a little variety. Even the "smaller" pizzas were pretty darn big, so it worked out well. Thanks to David Rocco for the great pizza dough recipe!

Chorizo and Onion
&
Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Pizzas

For the pizza dough: Adapted from David Rocco (here)

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups warm water
  
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the chorizo pizza toppings:

• 8oz chorizo
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 of a red onion sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• mozzarella cheese (however much you like)

For the prosciutto pizza toppings:

• 6 slices prosciutto
• 1 1/2 oz goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
• mozzarella (however much you like)

Start off by making the pizza dough. You can either do it the fun and messy way or the clean and boring way. I decided to go with the fun and messy way for today! :)

Measure out 2 cups warm water and add the yeast. Stir and let it sit for 2 minutes.

Dump the flour and salt together onto your counter surface and make a well in the center. When the yeast is ready, pour it into the well and use your hand to start incorporating the flour and yeast. When you have poured all of the yeast mixture into the flour, add the olive oil and continue to work the flour and liquid together until you have a nice dough start to come together. If your dough is too sticky, add a little flour (maybe a tablespoon at a time) to absorb a little of the liquid. Once the dough comes together, knead the dough for just a few minutes until the dough is smooth. If you plan to make two smaller pizzas, pull it apart to create two even pieces. Let the dough rest on a well floured surface, covered, for about an hour or until it has doubled in size. If you use plastic wrap to cover it, lightly coat it with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking to the top of the dough.

If you are making the chorizo pizza, prepare the topping while the dough is rising.

Cut the chorizo in thin pieces and slice the onion.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook until it has browned on the first side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the chorizo to the other side and add the onions. Lower the heat and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onions are cooked through.


When it is time to make the pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a pizza stone on the center rack.

Shape the pizza dough with your hands to create a round dough and then set it on a cornmeal dusted board. If you don't, your dough will stick when you try to move it to the oven. If you don't have a pizza stone, lightly spray your pan with cooking spray before putting the pizza on it so it doesn't stick.

For the chorizo pizza:

Spread the garlic on the dough and then cover with the mozarella cheese. Layer on the chorizo and onion mixture. Slide onto the pizza stone and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.



For the prosciutto pizza:

Cover with however much mozarella you would like. Top with strips of the prosciutto and break the goat cheese up with your hands over the top of the pizza. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Do not add the basil until after the pizza comes out of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Now top with the basil

Enjoy!!