Peach and Roasted Shallot Pizzas with Pecorino Romano and Mozzarella Cheeses and Fresh Basil

Peaches have been showing up lately at the store, and although it is not peach season, I was brave and bought some, because they were so fragrant and appeared to be good ones.  I was skeptical however about how good they were...but when I got home and cut into one, I discovered that they were actually delicious!  So tonight when I wanted to make a pizza, I included them in my toppings.  I combined them with some roasted shallots and fresh basil, since basil is my favorite summer herb and it goes so well with peaches!  For the cheese, pecorino romano and mozzarella were my choices, since the mozzarella is a good melter and pretty much goes with anything, and the pecorino loves peaches.  When the pizza was pulled from the oven, the roasted peaches smelled and looked wonderful...the cheese all bubbly and gooey around them!  But even better was how it tasted when it was finally cool enough to ingest with the fresh basil atop it!  Summer at it's best right there!  This was definately better than any old boring pepperoni pizza...

Peach and Roasted Shallot Pizzas with Pecorino Romano and Mozzarella Cheeses and Fresh Basil


Makes 2 10 inch pizzas

2 whole wheat pizza crusts store bought or home made (see my recipe below)

extra virgin olive oil

3 shallots, sliced

sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 medium peaches, sliced
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz shredded pecorino romano cheese
about 4 fresh large basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

A good quality pizza stone is essential to a crispy crust. Place the stone on the highest rack in the oven, then crank up the heat as high as possible at least an hour before baking the pizza (but if you don't have a stone, still use the top rack, but you will need to leave the pizza on a sheet pan to bake). Line a sheet pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss shallots with a little olive oil, and scatter on the pan. Roast for about 5-10 minutes in the hot oven until softened.  To assemble pizzas, place one piece of the dough on a piece of parchment paper, spray rolling pin with non-stick spray and roll out as thin as possible (about 10 inches is best) Repeat with other piece of dough using another sheet of parchment. Sprinkle salt and pepper over crust, then scatter over the peaches, shallots, then the mozzarella and pecorino. Using a pizza peel, or an upside down sheet pan, carefully slide the dough (keeping it on the parchment) into the oven. Bake for about 3-5 minutes, or until crust is starting to brown and cheese is bubbling. Carefully slide the parchment onto a sheet pan or pizza peel to remove from oven. Scatter the basil over the pizza and serve!

Amy's Whole Wheat Pizza Crust


Makes 8 10 inch crusts

Crust:
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Pkgs rapid-rise yeast
2 cups warm water

To make the dough, in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center, pour in the water and then dissolve the yeast in the water. Gradually stir the flour into the water mixture, until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, then place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area, such as near the oven, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. When dough has risen, punch down and divide into 8 pieces. You can either freeze the dough in individual portions (just place in ziplock bags and take out the night before you want to use it, then it will be ready to use the next day), or set aside to use right away. If making the recipe above, you will need two crusts.