Parisian
In 2013, I was a judge at a big pizza competition in Paris. In two days, I tasted seventy-three pizzas, most of them too rich and fussy for my taste. Let's just say that almost every entry featured smoked fish, foie gras, gold leaf, or edible flowers. But one extravagant ingredient that I thought really did work was truffles, and that inspired me to come up with this pizza that makes the most of truffle paste, wild mushrooms, and two of my favorite French cheeses: nutty Comté and triple-cream Saint André. If you like, you can top the fully baked pizza with paper-thin slices of prosciutto or speck. And if you can get your hands on a fresh truffle, shave it on top right at the table. That's the kind of simple, earthy luxury I can really get behind.
If you do not have two pizza baking stones or steels, you can use two 13" x 18" inverted rimmed baking sheets or cookie sheets. —Epicurious Editors
Ingredients
Special equipment:
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and leave wrapped at room temperature until the dough warms to 60°F to 65°F. Meanwhile, set up the oven with two pizza stones or baking steels and preheat to 500°F for 1 hour.
Step 2
Meanwhile, clean and trim the mushrooms so that they will all cook in about the same amount of time. Leave the pioppini and other small, delicate mushrooms whole. Slice the trumpets lengthwise into slices 1/8 inch thick.
Step 3
Heat a generous film of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the larger mushroom pieces and sauté for 1 minute. Add the remaining mushrooms, season with fine sea salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 4
Dust the work surface with the dusting mixture, then move the dough to the surface and dust the top.
Step 5
Dust a wooden peel with the flour. Open the dough on the work surface to a 13-inch round with a slightly raised edge. Move the dough to the peel. As you work, shake the peel forward and backward to ensure the dough isn't sticking.
Step 6
Mound the mozzarella in the center of the dough and use your fingertips to spread it evenly over the surface, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Scatter the mushrooms evenly over the top.
Step 7
Slide the pizza onto the top stone. Bake for 7 minutes. Lift the pizza onto the peel, rotate it 180 degrees, and then transfer it to the bottom stone. Bake for 6 minutes, until the bottom is browned and crisp and the top is golden brown.
Step 8
Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and cut into 6 wedges. Garnish each wedge with 1/4 teaspoon dollops of truffle paste, pinches of the Saint André, and shavings of Comté. Scatter the arugula over the top and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin oil and a pinch each of pepper and Maldon salt.
