Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pizza

Yes, we still have smoked fish to use up. And I am alway envious of the creative combinations of "flatbread pizzas" we see on menus at restaurants. Since we had this great smoked salmon, I decided pizza was the way to go.

Ray wanted to try making crust from scratch, which I must admit I haven't done since the box kind when I was a kid. So I searched the internet for a thin crust pizza recipe, and made pizza. It was thin, but not like a cracker, which was good. And we tossed on some ingredients we had on hand, and made our first gourmet pizza.

Thanks to Ray for crafting this one, as I was a little under the weather.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pizza

Crust for thin crust pizza:
(makes crust for 2 pizzas)
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Preheat your pizza pan or stone in the oven. Heat the water in an oven-proof cup until it barely feels warm, then add the yeast. Whisk it well, then set it aside to let the yeast dissolve. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt together. Make a large well in the middle of the flour mixture, and pour in the yeast mixture. Use your fingers to combine the two until the come together. When it comes together into a loose ball, turn it onto the counter along with any loose flour from the bowl, and continue to knead it until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic to the touch. You may need to add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth and silky.

Split the dough into two parts, and use your hands to work one into a large disk. Place on a 12 inch piece of parchment paper. Then, use the heel of you hand or a rolling pin and press or roll the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Leave on parchment paper to bake.

For the toppings:
Mix together:
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons dried basil

Brush on crust, and save some for dipping !Then top with:
1/2 cup shredded smoked salmon
1/2 cup goat cheese, crombled
3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, cut chiffonade
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted.