Pizza Bianca- White Pizza with Artichokes, Arugula & Ricotta

Want to know the secret to a great marriage?

It’s not separate bedrooms- it’s separate pizza crusts.

I love pizza- the stringy, gooey cheese, salty doughy crust, yummy toppings. But- I live with a man who loves nothing more than a simple thin crust pepperoni pizza- full of nitrates and fat. I love hunky hubby, but I prefer a sauceless pizza bianca filled with ricotta, herbs, greens, and tangy veggies like artichokes. So good.

But, I want a happy marriage and after 31 years- the secret is out. Make homemade pizza dough. I can have the thicker chewy dough and he can have wafer thin pizza loaded with all the pepperoni he wants.

Listen to my advice and save your marriage- make this pizza dough tonight!

It takes just minutes to whip up this dough.

Simple pizza dough- makes 2 medium size pizza

3/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 package dry active yeast, 7g
1 TBSP granualted sugar
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the crust
2 TBSP olive oil, divided.
Toppings:
1 cup Parmesean cheese- grated
1 cup Arugula
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella , shredded
3-4 marinated artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
Try other toppings- pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes, halved cherry tomatoes, pesto, burrata etc.

Method- Prep time- 15 minutes. Rising time- 1 hour. Baking time 12-15 minutes.

Using a glass measuring cup, run hot tap water over and around the glass to heat it. Dry. Keep your the measuring cup warm.
Add 3/4 cup warm water– about 105- 110 degrees, yeast and half of the sugar (1/2 TBSP) to the warm mearsuring cup. Mix with a small whisk to full incorporate. Let rest for 5-7 minutes. You will see bubbles forming in the mixture and it will smell like dough.
Combine the flour, remaining sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook. Pour in all of the bubbling yeast and sugar water mixture into to the flour. Mix the flour mixture on low speed for about 1 minute.
Increase speed to medium. The dough will come together to form a ball. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
If the dough “climbs” up the dough hook, just scrape it down with your fingers.
Lightly flour your counter or board and roll the dough out into the ball. Knead the dough until it is smooth (like a baby’s bottom) and when your press down with your finger- the dough will spring back into shape.This takes about 3-5 minutes at most. Roll it into the shape of a ball.
Coat a clean bowl with 1 TBSP of olive oil. Place the ball of dough into the bowl rolling it in the olive oil to compeltely coat the surface of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for in a warm area for about an hour. The dough should double in size.
Pre heat your oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or place you baking stone in the oven to heat.
Once the dough has doubled, Punch it down with your fist, divide in half and roll into 2 circles. You can knead if for a few minutes if the texture is not smooth. Place each pizza dough onto the parchment lined baking sheets.
Roll 1/4 ‘ or 1/2 ” of the edges up onto themselves to create a crust. Brush the dough edge of the circle with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle the crust with about 1/2 tsp kosher salt and a bit of parmesean cheese.
Top the pizza with the cheese, arugula, dot with small clumps of ricotta and finally the artichokes.
You can sprinkle on a few drizzles of olive oil, parmesean and salt if desired.
Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes untilt he doug is borwned to your liking.
If you use a pizza stone- be certain to dust it with cornmeal or lese the pizza will stick.