I think the inspiration for this pizza came from all of the white cherry blossoms opening and trees becoming green again around Zagreb. It’s the start of Spring and Easter week and it is beautiful out!! There are olive branches being sold throughout the markets, wooden and painted eggs and olive branch wreaths to get ready for Palm Sunday tomorrow.
I like this pizza for this time of year because it’s light and fresh, simple and flavorful. It’s great with a glass of crisp, white wine. Dobar tek i stretan Cvjetna Nedelja. Enjoy and happy Palm Sunday!
White Garlic Pizza with Apple and Walnut Salata in Sweet Wine Vinaigrette
Pizza Dough
1 tsp active dry yeast
4 C all-purpose flour
2 tbs fine sea salt
1/4 C raw sugar
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
6 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz fresh mozzarella
6-8 oz fresh feta (in brine, not pre-crumbled)
Sweet White Wine Vinaigrette
1 C extra virgin olive oil
1 C white wine vinegar
1/4 – 1/3 C honey or raw sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
dash of fine sea salt
Salata
2-3 C baby salata
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/2 C walnuts, roughly crushed with your hands
Trader Joe’s has amazing fresh pizza dough if you live near one and don’t want to make your own! I still think it tastes best homemade. Put the yeast into 1 1/2 C of almost hot water. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in and stir the water. This helps the yeast to rise. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil in a large bowl with a fork. Pour in the yeast water and fresh rosemary leaves (if using) and stir with the fork until all of the water has been absorbed – the best that you can! The dough will be very sticky. Drizzle the sides of the bowl and the top of the dough with olive oil, cover the bowl with seran wrap or a kitchen towel and store in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours, though overnight to two days is best. This will make two doughs.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Put half of the dough onto a lightly floured surface with enough flour on the dough to keep it from sticking to your hands. Work the dough with the palm of your hand, adding flour as you need, until you can spread it out on a baking sheet. Life the ends of the dough to rub olive oil on the baking sheet to keep it from sticking. Drizzle olive oil on top of the pizza dough and spread it out with your hands along with the fresh garlic. Cover the dough with the fresh mozzarella slices, then crumble the feta on top and drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the cheese. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven, or until the edges begin to brown and the cheese bubbles.
While the pizza is baking, toss the vinaigrette together, taste, add more honey/sugar as you like. Toss the desired amount of vinaigrette with the salad and put the salad on top of the pizza as soon as it is out of the oven. Drizzle a little of the vinaigrette over the whole pizza for even more flavor. Serve and eat immediately. It’s such a yummy one! Dobar tek!
