Servings: 4
Ingredients:
¼ Cup Garlic Confit Oil
12 Confit Garlic Cloves
2 lbs of Neapolitan or other type pizza dough - can be homemade or store-bought.
¼ lb mozzarella, torn into grape-sized pieces
4 oz Parmesan or other hard cheese, grated
1 large bunch of chives, chopped
Salt TT
Black Pepper TT
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of Flour
¼ Cup Cornmeal
Directions:
Divide the dough into four even portions. Shape these portions into rounds and oil their surface. Grease a baking tray to rest them on liberally with the vegetable oil. Cover them very loosely with an oiled piece of plastic film. Be sure to allow them room to grow. Allow them to rest on the counter for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
In the meantime, preheat your oven to 325F.
Transfer the cornmeal and all-purpose flour each to a baking tray. Gently shake each tray to spread the contents in an even layer, then transfer them to the oven.
The cornmeal will need to bake for 15 - 20 minutes and will have a pleasant toasted aroma when it is ready.
The flour will take 10-20 minutes longer. It should brown well and smell like a freshly baked loaf of bread.
When the dough is about 40 minutes out from being ready, preheat your oven to as high a temperature as it will go. Place two baking trays on the racks and allow them to preheat as well.
While the oven is preheating, ensure the rest of your supplies are gathered and ready to go.
When the dough has increased in volume but is supple enough to handle, it is ready.
Dust your counter lightly with the toasted flour and cornmeal and shape the crust for your pizzas. You want them to be about 10 or so inches in diameter. You can use the method of your choice, with a rolling pin likely being the easiest.
Use a fork to prick the inside of the flattened dough portions so as to leave a 3/4" perimeter that will rise and become your crust. When all of the crusts are shaped, remove the preheated trays from the oven. Quickly but carefully transfer the raw crusts to the trays. The dusting of flour and cornmeal on the underside should momentarily allow you to slide them around on the baking trays as needed while positioning. Return the trays to the oven and let your crusts to bake for 3-5 minutes, or until they appear fully cooked through but light in color and not overly browned.
At this point, you can remove the trays from the oven and assemble your pizzas. The confit garlic cloves can be spread like a paste in the center well of the pizza. The grated hard cheese will follow. Then the mozzarella and chives. Finish with salt and pepper then return the parbaked pizzas to the oven.
When the crust is browned, and the cheese has melted, remove the trays from the oven. Liberally brush the garlic confit oil on the crust of each pizza.
Serve while warm with any additional garlic and oil on the side.