White Mushroom Pizza

I am really enjoying exploring how to make different versions of what can be called pizza. This one took inspiration from two places: a failed attempt at making mushroom ragout with creme fraiche and a recent post on Bitten by Edward Schneider.

I had purchased several different types of mushrooms - shiitake, cremini, chanterelle - in anticipation of trying to make a mushroom ragout that used creme fraiche, but never seemed to be in the mood for pasta with the ragout sauce. When I read Bitten and saw that Edward Schneider made a pizza with sauteed mushrooms and cream and used that as a pizza sauce and base I decided to try it.

Using creme fraiche instead of simply cream seemed an acceptable solution and I added some grated parmesan to the dough before spooning over the mushroom ragout. I really loved how the mushrooms played the starring role with very little distraction from a cheese. It was more of a mushroom tart rather than a pizza but very tasty!

White Mushroom Pizza

Pizza dough to fit small cookie sheet
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms, sliced in 1/3 inch slices
1 leek, cleaned, white and light green portion, cut in half and sliced thin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 larges pieces dried porcini mushrooms, hydrated in 1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup white wine
1 cup creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Soak porcini mushrooms in 2 cups boiling water and set aside to rehydrate for at least 15 minutes. Saute leeks in olive oil for 5
minutes until they begin to soften. Add mushrooms and toss to coat, cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes until mushrooms give up much of their water. Remove porcini from water and chop. Add to mushrooms and add 1 cup of mushroom liquid to pot and turn up to high heat and boil away. Add white wine and cook until evaporated. Add salt and thyme and cook another few minutes. Stir in creme fraiche and cook 5 minutes until sauce thickens.

Sprinkle cornmeal on cookie pan and stretch dough to desired thinness. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on dough and spoon mushroom mixture over cheese. Bake for 12 minutes until sauce is bubbling and crust is lightly browned.

Hugs!