Sun Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Pizza

I love making pizzas at home.  With a few simple tricks, they are easy to make, and the choice of toppings are nearly endless, making it easy to catere to everyone’s tastes, and even the changing seasons.  Here, I show you how to make a sun dried tomato and goat cheese pizza.   The sun dried tomatoes are super dense in flavor and a bit sweet, and go perfectly with the goat cheese, with is dotted throughout the pizza and adds a creamy rich flavor and texture.  Get the dough from a local pizza shop like I do, which saves you a ton of time, and is generally a great product.  Enjoy!

Recipe Overview and Keys to Success

To make the best sun dried tomato and goat cheese pizza, make sure to do the following:

1. You can certainly make the dough if you like, but I prefer buying it from a local pizza shop.  It’s a big time saver, and the quality is always high
2. If you can use a pizza stone, or at least a heavy gauge pan, rather than a thin metal sheet.  It retains heat better, and well help get a nice crispy crust
3. Stretch the dough nice and thin, or it can really over power the sauce and toppings, and taste more like a loaf of bread with toppings, rather than pizza.
4. Use very high heat, a 500 degree oven8
5. Finally, use some restraint with the sauce and toppings, otherwise, the pizza can get soggy and out of balance

• 1 medium pizza dough
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• ¼ cup julienned sun dried tomatoes
• ~3 oz goat cheese
• ~6 oz mozzarella cheese
• Flour to prevent dough sticking
• Polenta to help slide the dough

• Pre-heat your oven, with the pizza stone inside at 500 degrees for about 30 minutes
• Dust a cutting board or pizza peel with dry polenta, which will help the pizza slide off into the pre-heated pizza stone.  Sliding is actually the hardest part, so don’t skimp on the polenta – they act like little ball bearings
• Allow the dough to come up to room temperature and then hand stretch until very thin (about 1/8 inch)
• Lay the pizza dough down on the board and coat with a thin layer of pizza sauce
• Spread the mozzarella over the pizza, and then top with the tomatoes and goat cheese
• Slide the pizza onto the pre-heated pizza stone, and allow it to cook for 8 – 12 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the crust crispy
• Remove the pizza from the stove, and allow it to rest for 2- 3 minutes to cool
• Serve and enjoy!

I love to serve a Sangiovese, or Chianti, with pizza.  There is a natural affinity between tomato and the sangio grape that can’t be beat, and it will make a perfect paring with this pizza.