Pizza: Tuscan White Bean Pizza

By blum099

Ingredients

• For dough:
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• For topping:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth or water
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in the water until combined then use your hands to knead it into a soft dough.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding additional flour as needed so it doesn’t stick. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature in a warm spot until double in volume, about 1 hour.

3. After the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, punch it down and gently stretch and lift it to make a 12-inch round about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the round to a floured baking sheet or pizza stone. Use your fingertips to form a rim around the perimeter of the dough and let rise in draft-free place for 20 minutes. Place the oven rack in the bottommost position of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

4. Make the topping: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the beans, salt, and pepper.

5. Mash the beans to break them up, then stir in the broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the basil and set aside.

6. To assemble the pizza, spread the bean mixture evenly on top of the dough round, to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Arrange the tomato slices on top and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the crust is crisp and browned, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Splurge a little: Add sliced pitted kalamata olives when you add the tomatoes. Garnish with thin strips of fresh basil leaves.