Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pizza

Tomorrow I leave for Cuzco, Peru for three weeks so my family decided to have a nice dinner together before I go. I was inspired to make pizza after a recent trip I took last weekend with my friend for what has now become our annual summer trip to Seattle. We had a lovely time and spent shopping, browsing, walking, and of course eating. We stayed with my former neighbors, as we always do, and made some homemade Twix bars for dessert one evening as well as pancakes for breakfast the next day.

Prior to leaving on Sunday night, I took my friend to one of my favorite restaurants: the Cheesecake Factory. As the name would suggest, this restaurant features an abundance of cheesecakes including my personal favorite the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. This cheesecake has a base layer of chocolate flourless cake, then a layer of chocolate cheesecake, topped with a layer of chocolate mousse, and then finished with a chocolate ganache. It is the ultimate chocoholic's dream served on a platter decorated with chocolate swirls.

Despite its name, the Cheesecake Factory also has a wide variety of other menu items ranging from sandwiches to salads to pizzas, pastas, steaks....the list really goes on and on. In fact their menu is more of a book than a menu and it can take quite a while to simply read through all of the choices. We both decided to order pizzas and I went with the roasted vegetable and goat cheese pizza. It was delicious and all week long I couldn't stop thinking about it therefore I decided to try and recreate it at home.

I must confess that I am not experienced in pizza making and have only made it a couple of times in the past. Before the days of the Kitchen Aid I found it too much of a hassle to make my own dough so, rather than go to the store, I would stop by the local pizzeria and buy their dough. Since then, I have made both my own dough and pizza sauce but I still had a problem with stability. Whenever I made pizza the fillings would be so heavy that the dough couldn't stand up to them and the slices would sink in the middle. Instead of a crispy crust I would often be left with a soft, floppy bread that absorbed too much of the liquid and would start to sag.

At last I finally found the solution to my problem: a pizza stone. The stone is basically a flat, ceramic round that is preheated in the oven while you are making the pizza. Once ready, the pizza is transferred onto the stone and because its already hot it starts to bake the bottom right away, creating a nice crispy crust that can hold the weight of the toppings.

In addition to the roasted vegetable and goat cheese pizza, I also made a shrimp and pesto pizza as well as a light caprese salad and sliced roasted beets with goat cheese and toasted pecans. It was a great meal and I enjoyed being able to share it with my family before my trip. Although my pizzas were made using "specialty" equipment that not everyone has, I'm not suggesting that homemade pizza can only be made with a Kitchen Aid and pizza stone. However, it definitely makes the process easier and the results more restaurant-like. The pizza stone was definitely worth the $10 I paid for it and as for the Kitchen Aid...well that speaks for itself.

Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pizza

For the dough:
Note: This makes enough dough for two pizzas.

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 envelope instant yeast
• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 water, room temperature
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir gently. Add the room temperature water and stir through.
2. Combine the flour and salt and mix together.
3. Using a mixer on low speed, or a handheld mixer, add the yeast mixture and olive oil to the flour and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form.
4. If using a mixer, switch to the dough hook and continue to knead on low speed for about 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If using a handheld mixer, lightly flour the counter and proceed to knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, looking for the same smooth and elastic consistency.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and turn over once to coat the top as well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, dry place for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

For the pizza sauce:
Note: This sauce is enough for two pizzas.

• 1 28 oz (392 mL) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Combine all of the ingredients and then set aside for one hour for the flavors to blend.

For the roasted vegetables:
Note: This is enough vegetables for one pizza.

• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Combine all of the vegetables in a bowl and lightly drizzle with the balsamic and olive oil as well as sprinkle some salt and pepper. Mix the vegetables so that they are evenly coated and then lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

For assembly:

• Above ingredients
• Mozzarella cheese, grated
• Kalamata olives, sliced
• Goat cheese

1. If using a pizza stone, put it in the oven and allow it to preheat with the oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes before transferring the pizza to it.  
2. Punch down the dough and then separate into two equal pieces. Shape each pieces into a smooth, round ball and allow it to sit on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes (this will make it easier to roll/stretch).
3. Proceed to roll/stretch out the dough until it is of the desired size then brush the edges with olive oil.
4. Top with the pizza sauce, then the grated cheese, then the vegetables, and finish with some olives and goat cheese.
5. Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake at 500 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. If not using a pizza stone the baking time may be greater, around 18-20 minutes.