Puffed Pastry Pizza

The Oscars is this Sunday night, and if you’re the kind of human that likes to put on your favorite new top, dab on a little extra lip gloss, brush your hair until it shines, and settle in with a glass of wine just as the ceremony is beginning, I have the perfect little treat for you.

(I’ll probably be wearing yoga pants and have my hair in a knot on top of my head, judging from my typical Sunday evenings. But don’t be like me.)

Puffed Pastry Pizzas are not just alliterative…they’re also completely delightful. They have a nice light texture, you can change up the toppings, and most of all, they’re so incredibly easy to make with really impressive results. My idea of fun, if I were having a group of girlfriends over to watch the Oscars, which I’m not because I live too far out of town and five miles down a gravel road and everyone would wind up getting home way too late for a Sunday night in rural America, but that’s okay; I can fantasize anyway, would be to make a slew of the pizzas, each a different variety, then slice them up and serve them on huge, honking platter. What a presentation!

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to have an Oscar party to have an excuse to make these babies. They’re allowed on any night of the week/year/decade/century!

Here’s how to make them.

First: Puffed Pastry! This is one sheet of the frozen stuff, and I removed it from the package it came in, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and stuck it in my fridge. I actually meant to make the pizzas the day before I did, but didn’t get around to it…and it wound up being fine in the fridge for that 24 hour period. It says this on the package, but you can also take it straight out of the freezer and lay it on the counter for 45 minutes for a “quick thaw” right before you make the pizzas.

Just keep in mind you’ll need to factor in the time to thaw your puffed pastry!

Now, for the toppings of the pizza (I’m making two pizzas, two varieties): First, wash some mushrooms. These are Baby Bellas, but you can use regular white mushrooms instead!

Oh, and I wash mushrooms. I’ve read for years that you’re supposed to wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. But I choose to rebel against this for one very important reason:

I don’t like to ingest dirt.

Amen.

Slice the mushrooms thinly…

Then mince up some garlic!

Melt some butter in a skillet over medium-high heat…

Then throw in the mushrooms…

And the garlic.

Then sprinkle in some salt and pepper!

Stir the mushrooms around, then grab the bottle of wine you’ve been keeping in your bedside table and pour in a healthy splash.

Healthy, of course, being a relative term.

(And the wine is optional! You can use broth instead, or just cook the mushrooms without any added liquid.)

(But wine, for me, is never optional.)

Cook the ‘shrooms for about 5-7 minutes, until they’re nice and cooked and whatever liquid you’ve added has all but disappeared. Then just remove them from the heat and set them aside.

The toppings for the other pizza are a cinch! Just grab some yellow and red grape/cherry tomatoes…

And slice ‘em in half!

Finally, grate up some mozzarella. You won’t need too much, and just as was the case with my Chicken Mozzarella Pasta on Monday, you can use the fresh stuff that I’m using here, or you can use regular ol’ supermarket mozzarella. Either one is fine!

Now it’s time to make the pizzas: First, preheat the oven to 415 degrees. (Is that precise enough for you? Haha. I’m sorry. It’s just that 415 degrees is my puffed pastry temperature and I’m afraid to jinx it by changing it now.) When it’s preheated, unwrap the puffed pastry…

And carefully open the sides so that you have one big piece.

Then just slice it in half right down the middle so you have two equal pieces.

This isn’t 100% necessary, but I do it for luck: Brush a very light strip of olive oil right down the center.

Then sprinkle a small amount (this is almost too much!) of mozzarella on top.

Do the same with the second half.

You don’t want to lay on too much cheese, as it can cause some chaos as the pastry puffs in the oven, so just keep it light! The star of the pizzas really is the puffed pastry itself.

(Don’t tell the toppings I said that.)

Now spoon some of those glorious mushrooms over one of the pizzas…

And add the tomato halves over the other one.

Spread the toppings out a bit so that there’s not a really heavy, defined strip of ingredients down the middle: You want them to be pretty well distributed, with just a small strip of pastry around the edge.

Then just pop ‘em in the oven for 15 minutes!

While they’re in the oven, chiffonade some basil. You’ll be glad you did.

The pizzas are done!

Now, a couple of things: First, don’t be alarmed if you look in the oven during baking and you see crazy things happening on one or both of the pizzas. Sometimes, because of the toppings, one little area of the pastry will puff up and freak out on you…but it’s totally fine! If it’s a really big puff/air bubble, I’ll reach in with a sharp little knife and pierce it (“I pierced the toast!” Name that movie), which can cause it to settle down.

Or, usually, after you take the pizzas out of the oven, you can just press the bubble down or wait and watch it settle down by itself!

Either way, it’s always best to let the pizzas sit for a good 10 minutes before you serve them. Helps the pastry settle down and the toppings cool down a bit, and it will help hone your skills of patience, which you’ll need because these pizzas are so gloriously inviting.

Slice them up into small strips and then…for a final touch of deliciousness…crumble some goat cheese…

And sprinkle it all over the pizza!

Goat cheese—along with coffee ice cream, hummus, wine, The Godfather, Gone With the Wind, Basset Hounds, the smell of citrus, Real Housewives, waffles, poached eggs, puffed pastry pizza, and Dr Pepper lip balm—is my life.

Finally, sprinkle on the basil!

And…done.

Grab some plates! Pour some wine! Invite your friends! Unless you live far out of town and five miles down a gravel road! And then never mind!

You will absolutely, positively love these.

And as for toppings? Use whatever your heart desires. Thin prosciutto, regular shaved ham, diced bell pepper, olives, shrimp, any veggies and cheese you want.

And you can make two of them…or six or ten or twelve! Just up the toppings accordingly.

The great thing is…

The puffed pastry does most of the work. Just look at that glorious stuff!

Enjoy these, guys. They’re yummy.

Oh! And they store well in the fridge. Just reheat them (or, heck, eat them cold) the next day.

Here’s the handy dandy printable!

Recipe

Puffed Pastry Pizza

Prep Time: 1 Hour Cook Time: 15 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole Sheet Frozen Puffed Pastry
• Olive Oil For Brushing
• 1/2 cup Fresh Mozzarella, Grated
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 8 ounces, weight Mushrooms, Washed And Sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/4 cup White Whine
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 8 whole Yellow And/or Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved
• 1/4 cup Goat Cheese (chevre)
• 12 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

Preparation Instructions

Thaw the puffed pastry on the counter for 45 minutes or in the fridge for several hours.

When thawed, carefully open the sheet, then slice it in half down the middle. Place both halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a baking mat.

Preheat oven to 415 degrees, then start on the pizza toppings.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute mushrooms and garlic in the butter for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine and season with salt and pepper. Allow to continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked down and liquid is mostly gone. Remove from heat and set aside.

To build the pizzas: Brush a thin layer of olive oil in the center part of each half of puffed pastry.

On each half, sprinkle on half the cheese so that it covers all but a 1/2 inch border all around the pastry.

On one half, sprinkle on the cooked mushrooms. On the other half, sprinkle on the halved tomatoes. Press both mushrooms and tomatoes lightly into the cheese.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes pastry could go crazy and puff up in areas here and there, but don't worry! It'll be fine.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the goat cheese crumbles on both halves. Allow the pizzas to sit for 10 minutes. If there are any big air bubbles/puffs, just give them a little smush or wait and they'll calm down.

Sprinkle on basil, slice into pieces, and serve!

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on February 28 2014