Recently, the answer to the question “What is your favorite pizza?” is leek mascarpone pizza. This mascarpone-cheese pizza is made with sautéed leeks in butter, white pepper, mozzarella, and mascarpone. This is a white pizza, as the mascarpone and leeks are placed directly on the crust without tomato sauce. Obviously, we will add a significant amount of olive oil!
Mascarpone on pizza? Yes, thank you! Mascarpone cheese is a great addition to any pizza because it adds more cheese and a touch of creaminess. Since there is no tomato sauce on this pizza bianca, olive oil and dollops of mascarpone provide the sauce. And believe me, it’s not at all dry!
Mascarpone can be added either before or after baking, as I did in this mascarpone pizza recipe. If you add it before baking, it will probably melt and make puddles of delicious, creamy goodness. On the other hand, it can be piped on as soon as the pizza comes out of the oven. So, here and there you’ll have a cool dollop of mascarpone, which will also look nice as a decorative element.
How to make leek mascarpone pizza bianca
This pizza recipe has three primary steps: making the dough, prepping the leeks, and topping and baking the pizza. If you want to make your own dough, the ingredients, and instructions are listed in the recipe card that follows. 500 grams of flour will create either one large pizza if baked in an oven tray or two round pizzas if baked on a pizza stone.
How to prepare the leeks
Remove the leek’s root end and a portion of the dark green leaves from the top. If the two outermost layers are damaged, remove them. To eliminate dirt, halve the leek lengthwise and rinse it under cold water. Place leeks on a cutting board with the sliced side facing down and pat them dry. The leeks are sliced into approximately 1 cm thick pieces.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter is done, add the leek slices and cook them over medium heat. Add salt and white pepper and continue cooking until the leeks are tender. If the ingredients begin to brown, lower the heat. Continue sweating the leeks for about 6 minutes, or until they become tender. When the vegetables are tender, remove the pan from the heat.
Stretch the dough out. I opted to bake my pizza on a pizza stone, so I divided the dough into two balls and flattened them into roughly spherical shapes. Spread mozzarella slices all over the pizza crust, then add the sautéed leeks. After that, pipe mascarpone throughout the dish. I find it simplest to use a piping bag, but you can alternatively use two teaspoons to drop the cheese. Finally, drizzle olive oil over the pizza. You do not require much, but it is essential that it be of high quality.
Bake at 250°C (480°F) in a preheated oven until the cheese has melted and both the cheese and crust have browned. My fan-forced oven requires approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Before laying the pizza on the stone, I also warm it for about a half hour. If the pizza is baked in a pan, it may take significantly longer.
L is for leek
My first interaction with pizza with leeks was at a friend’s house. In fact, leeks are not the most popular pizza topping. Yet leek pizza in Sweden makes perfect sense. These northern territories have been home to leeks for quite some time, as evidenced by testimonials that predate the Vikings. Want to hear an arcane tale about leeks?
You will enjoy mascarpone on pizza, but the sautéed leeks will be your favorite pizza topping. Make this leek pizza when you want an unusual, flavorful, and vegetarian pizza topping. Surprise your friends just as I was initially startled to be offered pizza with leeks. It’s a success assured!
Ingredients
For the pizza dough
- 500 g flour
- 300 ml lukewarm water
- 15 g fresh yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 15 g salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
For the topping
- 250 g leeks
- 30 g butter
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/3 tsp white pepper
- 150 g mozzarella
- 70 g mascarpone
Instructions
- Add flour to a large mixing basin. Honey should be dissolved in water, then yeast should be crushed and added. Stir until dissolved, then pour into the basin of flour. Stir the mixture with a spatula, and when it begins to come together, sprinkle in the salt. On a floured surface, knead the dough while optionally adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roll the dough into a ball, set it back in the basin, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm location for a couple of hours, or preferably overnight.
- Remove the root end and a portion of the darker leaves from the leeks. Cut in half along the length and rinse with cold water to eliminate dirt. Place the leeks on a cutting board with the cut side facing down and pat them dry. Slice leeks into 1 cm chunks. In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the leeks for a couple of minutes. Add salt and white pepper and continue sweating the leeks over medium heat for approximately 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat once softened.
- When the dough is done, divide it into two balls and flatten them into two circles. Place mozzarella slices atop the dough, followed by sautéed leeks and mascarpone piping. A small circle of olive oil is drizzled on top of the ingredients.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 250°C (480°F) until the cheese has melted and the crust is gently browned.
Notes
Depending on the oven type, baking time may vary. Baking the pizza on a preheated stone in a fan-forced oven as I did, it may take as little as 8 minutes for the pizza to be ready.
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