Goat cheese margherita flatbread pizza

Everybody likes pizza. That’s a fact. And because I am one of these pizza-loving people, I was excited to hear that this month’s Recipe Redux theme was “Pizza Party.”

You see, pizza is sortof a thing around here. For the past couple of years, my parents have had a weekly tradition of inviting over everyone they know and making an obscene number of pizzas on their barbeque grill. They have a system: Mom mixes up and rolls out the dough and lays it on a pizza peel for Dad, who takes it outside, slides it onto clay grilling stones, loads it up with toppings, and serves it hot and bubbling to the hungry people awaiting. The topping choices have evolved over time, but these days we can expect to see a range from traditional margherita pizza to goat cheese and pancetta pizza to barbeque chicken “cowboy” pizza.

This recipe is delicious and I want to make it again and again. Especially topped with garlic and goat cheese.

Goat cheese margherita flatbread pizza
Dough adapted from The Italian Dish
Makes five 4×12″ pizzas

Dough:
1 cup warm water
3/4 teaspoon quick-rise yeast or instant yeast
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can also sub 1 1/2 cups AP flour for a 100% AP flour crust)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons honey

Toppings:
2/3 cup ricotta (2 tablespoons per pie)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 1/2 teaspoon per pie)
6-7 ounces goat cheese (1-1.5 ounces per pie)
10 small roma tomatoes (2 per pie), sliced
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1. Combine the water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the yeast activate for 10 minutes, then add the flours, olive oil, salt, and honey to the bowl. Mix with a spoon until the dough comes together, then transfer to a board and knead for about 5 minutes or until smooth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400F. Separate dough into 5 equal pieces. Roll dough until it is 1/8″ in thickness and press into desired pan or simply place on sheet pan. If you have trouble with the dough wanting to spring back to it’s original shape, let it rest on the counter for a few minutes and roll again. Prick dough with a fork to prevent excessive rising and bake for 8 minutes.
3. Remove dough from oven and begin to add toppings. Spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta in a thin layer all over the dough. Next, scatter 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1-1.5 ounces goat cheese crumbles over the dough. Add the tomato slices, overlapping slightly to cover the pizza. Place basil leaves sporadically over the tomato slices. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the toppings and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden. Place under the broiler for 1 additional minute to brown. 
5. Repeat with remaining dough and enjoy!