Squash Blue Cheese and Sage Pizza

Prepare the dough – combine the yeast and 100 ml/scant 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a bowl, stir to dissolve and set aside until foamy (approx. 5 minutes). Combine the fl our, salt and olive oil in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and 320 ml/scant 1-1/2 cups water and knead until well combined. Knead on a low speed in the mixer for approx. 5 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. Let the dough stand at room temperature, covered with a damp kitchen towel, until doubled in size (1 hour) or refrigerate overnight to prove – this can be done the night before and brought to room temperature (approx. 2 hours) before you bake.

urn out the dough onto a fl our-dusted surface and knock back/ punch down, then bring the mixture just together to form a smooth, soft dough. Do not overwork. Divide the dough into 8 balls, then place on a lightly floured surface and cover with a lightly floured kitchen towel until doubled in size (20 minutes).

Working with one ball of dough at a time, place onto a semolina dusted 22-cm / 8-1/2-inch pizza sheet and press outward from the center to flatten, making the edges slightly thicker than the center (if you don’t have a pizza sheet, use a baking sheet dusted with semolina).

Put a pizza stone or a large, heavy baking sheet upside down on the top shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) for at least 30 minutes.

Scatter a dough base with the butternut squash, both cheeses, and sage leaves, then drizzle with olive oil and season. Transfer to the hot pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes until crisp. Serve hot with a little more olive oil. Repeat with the remaining bases (or try different toppings). And serve.

Excerpted with permission from I Heart Pumpkin: Comforting recipes for cooking with winter squash.