This pizza is so yummy in the summer and it's a fun and pretty way to use zucchini and it's flowers. This pizza is also tasty at room temperature so it's a great dish to bring on a picnic. This is a quick yeast dough recipe that gets rave reviews everytime!
1cZucchini, sliced in thin roundsone small or medium zucchini
¼cTomato Sauce, seasoned with salt if neededor pizza sauce
1cloveGarlic, minced
Salt, dried basil or oregano to tasteoptional
2cShredded cheddar cheeseor mozzarella
6Zucchini Blossoms, torn into large pieces
Fresh basil leavesoptional
Instructions
Pizza Dough
Turn your oven on the warm setting and let preheat. Into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add yeast and sugar. Then add warm water. (This should be quite warm but not hot so you don't kill the yeast) Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to get foamy (activate) while you assemble other ingredients.
In large measuring cup add flour and salt and stir to combine well and then pour into wet ingredients.
Stir together or turn mixer with paddle attachment on low until it comes into a ball. Continue to knead in mixer or by hand for about 5 minutes. Lightly oil bowl with the olive oil and drizzle remaining oil on top. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap (leave air escape hole) or a clean tea towel. Turn off your oven and pop the dough inside to rise. Once it's doubled in size (approx 1 hour) take it out, preheat oven to 500' F and form it into 1 large or 2 small pizzas on a cookie sheet or pizza pan lined with parchement or dusted with flour or cornmeal.
Topping and Baking
Once your pizza dough is pressed out into the size you like, stir minced garlic into tomato sauce and season to taste with salt, pepper or other dried herbs like oregano or basil.Spread sauce evenly over pizza, leaving ½" around the edges bare. Next evenly place slices of zucchini and half the torn flowers, then top evenly with cheese.Put your pizza in the oven and bake 12-15 min. Once it's bubbly and lightly browned, it's done. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with remaining zucchini flowers letting them cook slighty in the residual heat. Then sprinkle basil leaves over if using.Take it out and slide it onto cooling racks for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
When spreading your cheese, make sure it touches the edges of the crust past the sauce so it stays in place once cooked instead of sliding off when being cut or eaten. Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper makes for no mess and pizza that will slide off the tray easily. Easily change up this recipe by swapping zucchini for anchovies or prosciutto.