Elien Lewis created this delicious pizza recipe for us and made it in her Lodge 30cm Skillet. Perfect for lunch or dinner and toppings can be changed according to seasonal vegetables available**.

This skillet pizza has the most delicious light base, with a crisp and golden exterior. The winter-inspired toppings are soft, lemony leeks, crispy baked brussels sprouts and salty sun-dried tomatoes. For this recipe the leeks could be substituted with onions and the Brussels sprouts can be swapped for kale, broccoli or finely shredded cabbage.

INGREDIENTS:

Pizza Base:

• 260g flour (1 ¾ cup)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp dried active yeast
• 175ml warm water

Toppings:

• Olive oil
• 1 small whole leek (greens included)
• 8-10 brussels sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ -½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

 **In the summer time, dollop with a tomato pizza sauce and top with diced capsicums, capers, olives, and finish with fresh oregano.. Or perhaps a basil pesto, topped with shaved zucchini and crumbled feta cheese.

Elien Lewis is from Wellington, New Zealand and has a fairly hefty following of sour dough enthusiasts and those that love homemade, homegrown food. Follow her @home_grown_happinessnz on Instagram and check out her website for recipes and tips. 

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl, add the warm water and the active dried yeast and stir to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes while the yeast dissolves.
2. Once dissolved, in a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, oil and the dissolved yeast and water. Mix it together well with a fork to create a sticky dough.
3. Place the dough into a clean bowl. Over the next hour, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, one set every 15 minutes. A stretch and fold is when you take a side of the dough ball and stretch it up and fold it over itself. For each set, stretch the dough and fold it over 4 times, turning the bowl a quarter turn each time. Use wet hands when performing the folds as this stops the dough sticking to your fingers. After the folds are all completed, cover the bowl with a plate and place it in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight.

Pizza Preparation

1. Drizzle a 30cm skillet with 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Take the dough from the fridge and place it in the skillet. Drizzle the top of the dough with another tablespoon of olive oil. Use your fingers to press the dough out into the skillet so it covers the entire bottom surface. Ensure the whole dough is coated in olive oil. If the dough keeps springing back whilst you press it out, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before trying again. Now let the dough proof for 45 minutes in a warm space. 
3. While the dough is proofing, shred or chop the whole leek finely, especially the tougher leek greens. Heat a fry pan or skillet over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the shredded leeks and ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté the leeks for 10 minutes, stirring regularly as the leeks soften. Halfway through the leek cooking time add the crushed garlic, the fresh thyme and the tablespoon of lemon juice. Season with pepper and extra salt if needed and to taste.
4. Shred the brussels sprouts into strips and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Toss the brussels sprouts with ½ tablespoon olive oil, the lemon zest and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set them aside.
5. Once the dough has finished proofing, heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-bake). Sprinkle ½ cup of grated mozzarella cheese over the dough. Add on the leeks and spread them out evenly. Arrange the brussels sprouts and sun-dried tomatoes over top of the leeks. Top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.
6. Bake the pizza in the oven on a lower rack, for around 16-18 minutes until the top is golden and the bottom is cooked and crisp. Once the pizza is removed from the oven, immediately run a knife along the edge of the skillet to stop the cheese sticking to the sides. Then you can lift the underside of the pizza out with a spatula to check that the bottom is golden.
7. Top the hot pizza with extra fresh thyme, slice and serve while hot.