Poblano, corn and zucchini pizza

The pizza dough recipe makes enough for two pizzas.

Credit: Pati's Mexican Table

• makes

  1

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 poblano chilli, roasted, sweated, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm strips
• 1 small zucchini, shaved into zucchini ribbons with a peeler or mandoline
• ⅓ cup corn kernels fresh or thawed from frozen
• ¼ cup slivered red onion
• 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¼ tsp chipotle or ancho chile powder
• ¼ tsp kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
• Plain (all-purpose) flour for dusting work surface
• 225 g (½ pound) pizza dough (get Pati's recipe here)
• ½ cup tomato pizza sauce
• 1½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ¼ cup fresh ricotta cheese or requesón
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Foolproof pizza dough

• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup lukewarm water 
• ½ tsp sugar
• 345 g plain  (all-purpose) flour, plus more for work surface
• 2 tsp kosher or coarse sea salt

Resting time 20 minutes plus at least 2 hours

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) degrees.

For the pizza dough, in a medium bowl, combine the yeast with the olive oil and the lukewarm water. Once it is well mixed, add the sugar and stir well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast mix. Use your hands to incorporate it all together until it is fully combined, about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Flour your counter and your hands generously, remove the dough from the bowl and knead until the dough goes from being sticky and gooey to very elastic, smooth and malleable. It will take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. Add more flour to your counter and hands as need be.

Divide the dough in half, form into two balls and wrap them each in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using, or up to 3 days.

Bring the dough back to room temperature, without removing the plastic wrap, before using.

In a medium bowl, toss to combine the poblano chilli strips, zucchini ribbons, corn, red onion, olive oil, lime juice, chilli powder and salt.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough into a 25-30 cm (10 to 12 inch) circle and place on a pizza stone or in a cast-iron pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread on ½ cup pizza sauce, leaving a 1 cm (half-inch) border all the way around. Top with ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, then using a slotted spoon to leave the juices in the bowl, spoon on the poblano, zucchini and corn mixture. Add the remaining mozzarella cheese, and then place about 8 mounds, about a heaping teaspoon each, of ricotta cheese on top. Transfer back to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp, about 12 to 14 more minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired, and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.