Broccoli and Garlic Pizza on (Mostly) Whole Wheat Crust

I picked up some broccoli last weekend at the local farmer's market with the intention of making my mom's Indian broccoli dish.   By the middle of the week though, I hadn't used the broccoli and I had just put my pizza stone in the oven to pre-heat when I realized that I shouldn't wait to use the broccoli, and instead make a broccoli pizza that night!  

 

Backing up a little bit, I have been a bit negligent about blogging about my favorite new pizza dough recipe -- the first I have used to make my own pizza dough instead of buying the delicious refrigerated kind from Trader Joe's.  Given how relatively new I am to cooking, I have never actually used yeast in any of my dishes, and I admit that the nervousness about using it has made me hold back from making my own breads and doughs.  Finally though, I decided that it was about time for me to become a true cook, use one of the yeast packets in my cupboard, and just make my own pizza dough at home.  I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com, and I couldn't find it easier to use and the result is AMAZING.  The flavor of the crust is literally mouth-watering, and letting the dough rise in the fridge instead of a more hands-on dough recipe is perfect for my busy schedule during the week.  Ever since I started making this crust a few weeks ago, we probably make it at least once a week.  I highly, HIGHLY suggest that anyone interested in making pizza at home try this recipe as soon as possible!

So moving forward to the broccoli-inspired pizza, for the first time, I decided to substitute two cups of whole wheat flour for two of the cups of bread flour called for in the recipe.  Although the yeast flavor didn't come out as much with the whole wheat version of the dough, it still tasted pretty amazing.  I paired the pizza with my standard pizza sauce, which is also a user-submitted Allrecipes.com entry that I have altered.  I also included about 2 cups of grated low moisture mozzarella cheese, and 5 cloves of garlic. 

The full recipe, which serves approximately 2 - 3 individuals, is:

Ingredients

• 1/2, or one dough ball, from this Brooklyn-style pizza dough recipe.  Substitute two cups of whole wheat flour for two cups of the bread flour for a healthier crust.  
• 1/2 of this pizza sauce recipe.  I highly recommended making the sauce a day before, when you make the pizza dough, to allow the flavors to blend together.
• 2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella (can be part-skim if you desire)
• 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 large jalapeno, finely sliced and then chopped (optional, depending on your preference)
• vegetable oil for sauteing broccoli

Directions

• Pre-heat pizza stone in the oven at 550 degrees for at least 45 minutes
• At the same time, remove the pizza dough and sauce from the fridge to allow both to come to room temperature.  Chop the vegetables and garlic, and grate the cheese.
• Heat on medium-high heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet or frying pan.  Once hot, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about one to two minutes depending on the heat of the pan.
• Add the broccoli and saute for approximately 5 - 7 minutes.  I recommend covering the broccoli for at least 4 - 5 minutes to allow it to steam a bit.  Once the broccoli is cooked to your taste, remove it from the heat.
• Press or toss the pizza dough according to your crust preference, and form into a 12-inch circle, using a lot of flour to ensure the pizza does not stick to your pan or peel.  
• Once stone is hot, remove from the oven, and quickly place pizza dough on surface.  Add sauce and toppings immediately, and place back in the oven at the top rack (in my oven, the top rack is the coolest -- would avoid the hottest place in your oven to avoid the cheese getting prematurely burned).  There is no need to pre-heat this pizza crust before adding the toppings, as long as the dough is at room temperature.  If it is not, I would recommend pre-heating for about a minute.
• Keep in oven for approximately 4 - 5 minutes, or until the crust is fully cooked (testing by pricking a knife into any thick parts of the dough, and checking the inside of the dough) and the cheese is bubbly.  I would recommend watching the pizza closely toward the end of the baking period to ensure the cheese doesn't start to burn.
• Remove from the oven, let sit for approximately 2 - 3 minutes, and then use a pizza cutter to cut and serve.

Enjoy -- you definitely will!