Herbed Cheese Pizzas Recipe

Photo: Raymond Hom; Styling: Pamela Duncan Silver

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes)invites you to try Herbed Cheese Pizzas Recipe. Enjoy quick and easy Middle Eastern food recipes and learn how to make Herbed Cheese Pizzas.

A Turkish twist on classic street food.

These pizzas were originally part of a story on Turkish street food, and boy did they steal the show: We talked about them for months. With a crisp-tender crust and savory-tangy topping featuring deliciously salty kasseri cheese, they're simply divine. The recipe makes eight individual pizzas, enough for an interactive cooking party. The original recipe didnt meet our current sodium and calorie guidelines, so we adjusted a few ingredients. Great news: The pizzas are still show-stealers.

Yield: Serves 8 (serving size: 1 pizza)
Total: 2 Hours, 10 Minutes

Ingredients

Dough:
9.5 ounces bread flour (about 2 cups), divided
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages dry yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°), divided
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups), divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray

Topping:
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot paprika
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 (28-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
8 ounces kasseri cheese, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. To prepare dough, weigh or lightly spoon bread flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 4.75 ounces (about 1 cup) bread flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup warm water in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 7.5 ounces (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour, remaining 4.75 ounces (about 1 cup) bread flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add yeast mixture, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon oil to flour mixture; stir well. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; divide dough into 8 equal portions. Cover and let rest 20 minutes.

4. To prepare topping, combine oregano, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

5. Preheat oven to 450°.

6. Working with 1 dough portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), roll each portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; place circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions.

7. Top each crust with 1/4 cup tomato mixture, 1 ounce cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until crusts are lightly browned. Sprinkle with minced parsley.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving
Calories: 402
Fat: 11.4g
Saturated fat: 5.4g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g
Protein: 16.6g
Carbohydrate: 57.9g
Fiber: 4.6g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Iron: 3.7mg
Sodium: 676mg
Calcium: 247mg

Viviana Carballo, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2013
Also featured in: Cooking Light, April 2002  

More from the Lebanese Recipes Kitchen:

Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Arabic Lamb Stew Recipe
Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Frike with Meatballs Recipe
Lamb meatballs with Lebanese rice
Moroccan meatballs recipe 
Moroccan meatballs with herb couscous recipe   

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