Sourdough Roasted Garlic Chevre White Vegetable Pizza

Motivation.  Got some you want to lend me? I promise I’ll take good care of it and return it to you in perfect condition, with a slice or three of this Sourdough Vegetable Pizza with Roasted Garlic Chevre Cream Sauce.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable PizzaI have lacked the M word for some time now, especially when it comes to cooking, baking, photo processing and writing – outside of my BBFL memory, which is therapeutic writing for me.  Writing, cooking, baking and photographing pretty much sums up a food blog, huh? I’ve made promises to people that I’ve delayed and delayed and delayed.

It all started with everything that went on from late February through May.  It continued with the crazy heat, making me not want to turn on the oven or do anything outside of lounging with a jar of peanut butter or nutella, something to dip in it, and the remote control; the AC on POLAR ICE.

Not a pretty picture.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

Well..I’ve been tackling these promises one by one, and today is one I was very much looking forward to until the proverbial shit hit the fan, or, in my case..the AC.

Early last March, my friends Shelley of C Mom Cook,, and Ruth of The Crafts of Mommyhood, started a sourdough challenge called Sourdough Surprises after loving this Daring Bakers challenge.  With their new pets in their refrigerators, they decided to continue to create all sorts of treats using it –  from sourdough bagels, to sourdough pretzels, ad infinitum.  I wanted in, and I discussed it with Shelley in a 2-hour-long conversation one lazy afternoon.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

You remember Herbie, don’t you? Well..right before the first challenge, I killed him again.  I put him in a turned off oven to sit, after feeding him, because he needed a boost before I extracted what I needed for the challenge.

Obviously, I forgot he was in the oven.  No need to get into details; you know what happened. Herbie was literally baked.  SO, I decided to gestate another Herbie.  The new Herbie died because he wasn’t yet strong enough to miss a meal or two, and I forgot the meal or two. It was actually 10 meals, but who’s counting?

 

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

I think I might be a serial killer (cue dramatic music, then stop it and zoom in on my face); a sourdough serial killer.

Since I don’t have the motivation to build up another starter, and frankly, am not a fit sourdough mommy at this time, I was given a half cup by a friend who’s had her sourdough starter going for 2 years.  She named him Butch.  A little refreshing, and I was ready to turn Butch into pizza dough.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable PizzaThis month’s Sourdough Surprises challenge is pizza with a sourdough crust.  I’m three days late.  They’ve already moved on to pie for August, any kind of pie with a flaky, sourdough crust.  If you want to join in the pizza dough challenge until the end of July, check it out and link it up HERE.  To join in on the August pie challenge, click HERE for the instructions and the recipe.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable PizzaHaving said all that, I’m feasting the rainbow again and will continue to do so as much as I can this summer.  To sum up this pizza pie, I took advantage of the summer bounty of vegetables, plus blue potatoes ( I could only find baby blues this time), which I just love, and created somewhat of a rainbow pizza on top of chevre with roasted garlic mashed in, and lots of fresh mooootz -ar- elll topped with some grated Grana Padano.

Three cheeses, roasted garlic, summer corn, basil, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions and blue potatoes.  Hot diggity! And, it’s vegetarian (well, dairy aka Lacto-ovo vegetarian).

OK, OK.OK. I have to admit something, although it’s pretty apparent in the photos. I forgot to add the tomatoes to the second pizza before I put it in the oven. The photo of the raw pizza with the tomatoes was eaten immediately because we were staaaarrrrving and didn’t want to wait for photos because it would get cold. Plus, I knew I’d be making another pizza for out of the oven photos with the second half of the dough, cheeses and veggies.  Well, I forgot to add the dang tomatoes to that one, so I plopped them on the pizza after it came out of the oven.

This is why it looks more like a salad-ish pizza, than a cooked one.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

Anyhoo…

You can use any kind of pizza crust you want, but of course I used the sourdough crust recipe that they provided, which is lovely.  You can see the sourdough pizza linky round-up, HERE, and again, if you make a sourdough crust pizza before the end of July..link it up!

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

I wish I had been able to take photos of this pizza straight out of the oven so you could see all the hot gooey cheese dripping, but I couldn’t, so here’s a snippet of  ‘now stagnant’ oozy, gooey cheese.

Although the photos show a thicker crust, I prefer a much thinner crust pizza, but I let this one do its bubbly, puffy crust thang because the dough tasted so unbelievably good. I wanted a thicker crust so I could enjoy more of it. You can roll it thinner if you prefer it that way, and yes, I really do taste dough for flavor before shaping and baking.  Try it and you’ll see why!

ONE LAST IMPORTANT THING. After years of occasionally topping my pizzas and other baked Italian dishes with FRESH mozzarella cheese, I’m DONE. Fresh mozzarella is not meant to be melted, meaning it doesn’t remain ‘melty, stringy and gooey’ for more than a few minutes, and turns very rubbery when cooled down. Stick with the those store-bought packs of mozzarella (not the shredded..ever, shred it yourself). I use Polly-O; gooey, melty, stringy manna for days (well, at least 15 minutes). Save the fresh mozzarella for well, eating it FRESH. Yum.

That is all.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

On another note, I want to thank a sweetheart of a girl and a fantastic baker, Uru (aka Chocolate Chip Uru), of Go Bake Yourself for two lovely awards she gave me – The Illuminating Blog Award and the Addictive Blog Award! I’m very flattered! Thank you, Uru!

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable Pizza

Sourdough White Summer Vegetable Pizza

Sourdough Roasted Garlic Chevre Cream Vegetable Pizza
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 1 large, 2 medium or 3 baby pizzas
 
ingredients:
Roasted garlic Cheese Topping
  • 6 ounces chevre or cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1 head of garlic, roasted
  • kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • mozzarella cheese..sliced, some shredded for topping (the amount depending on your stringy cheese preference)
  • Grated Grana Padano or Asiago or Parm Reggiano etc..-whatever Italian hard cheese you like
  • olive oil
Summer Vegetable Topping **
  • ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or kept whole (I like the burst of small roasted tomatoes, so I kept them whole)
  • 1 small or half a medium or large orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, ribs removed, and diced
  • 1 small or half a medium or large green bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, ribs removed and diced
  • Kernels from one ear of corn
  • ½ a red onion, or one small red onion, diced
  • about ¼ lb (4 oz) blue potatoes, steamed or boiled, peeled, and cubed
  • Torn fresh basil
  • kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
directions:
  1. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the head into a bowl with the chevre or cream cheese. Mix together until somewhat smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, covered.
  2. Preheat a pizza stone *** on the bottom rack of your oven at 500 degrees F for at least 20 minutes.
  3. Combine all the prepared vegetables in a bowl, and drizzle with a little olive oil..seasoning well with salt and pepper. Toss well.
  4. For one large pizza...press, roll, stretch and/or toss the dough to about a 12- 14 inch round. Place on a cornmeal or semolina coated pizza peel. Spread a thin layer of the roasted garlic cheese on the crust. Lay slices of mozzarella over the roasted garlic cheese..covering all the dough within ½ inch of the rim. Spoon the remainder of the roasted garlic cheese on top of the mozzarella cheese, then grab handfuls (with your impeccably clean and sterile hands) of the vegetables and scatter them evenly over the cheese.
  5. Shred some of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it on top of the vegetables, along with the grana padano or any Italian hard cheese you prefer.
  6. Quickly slide the pizza on the hot baking stone in one quick motion (it's in the wrist), and shut the oven door. Bake for about 8 -10 minutes for a large pizza..6- 8 minutes for the mediums, and 5 - 6 minutes for the small pizzas.
  7. Top pizza(s) with fresh, torn basil (if using) and lightly season with salt and fresh black pepper before serving.
notes:
* If you prebake your crust for 5 minutes, like the sourdough crust recipe linked above recommends, spread the roasted garlic cheese on the crust, then top with the mozzarella and vegetables and finish baking.
** You will have leftover vegetables, especially if you make just one large pizza. Either make more pizza dough for another pizza, or make a vinaigrette and enjoy this as a cold summer vegetable medley.
*** You can stretch the dough on and bake this pizza on a greased and cornmeal or semolina coated sheet pan, if you don't have a pizza/bread stone. You just won't get the uber, crispy, crust a stone gives you.

Sourdough Three Cheese Roasted Garlic Vegetable PizzaI’m submitting this pizza to Yeastspotting, a weekly bread baking showcase hosted by the uber talented Susan of Wild Yeast.

Bookmark and Share

This entry was posted in Breads, Cheese, Dinner, Lunch, Rainbow, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

60 Responses to Sourdough Roasted Garlic Chevre White Vegetable Pizza

  1. Shelley C says:

    BEAUTIFUL pizza. I love the fresh, beautiful colors. Who would have thought a pizza could hold a whole rainbow?? It turned out even better than I’d imagined 🙂 I am so glad you had the opportunity to make this!!

  2. Megan says:

    First, the pizza looks amazing. So colorful! And second, I need part 16!

  3. What a fantastic pizza – the colours are wonderful! Good luck with Butch 🙂

  4. themadhausfrau says:

    Your rainbow veggie ideas are so inspiring and I am hanging on the edge of my seat….

  5. Kate says:

    Gorgeous pizza! I really like your eat the rainbow idea!

  6. Wendy says:

    I LOVED the reunite between you and Dreamboat SO MUCH! You capture every feeling we all have in those moments, & your honesty is so raw….in a good way.

  7. Suzanne says:

    Wow, that pizza look wonderful, I thought it was candy on there at first with all those pretty colors. I would love to have a few slices of that or maybe share half with you while watching a movie! Keeping us hungry for more with pizza and stories 🙂

  8. Oh my my my
    It looks so colorful and wonderful !!
    And after the fantastic bread I made from your recipe, I’ll probably try this pizza soon!

  9. I’m sorry, but I’m fresh out of motivation or I’d loan you some 🙂 Love this rainbow pizza and your Dreamboat reunion *sign*

  10. I’m sorry, but I’m fresh out of motivation or I’d loan you some 🙂 Love this rainbow pizza and your Dreamboat reunion *sign*

  11. Rosa Mayland says:

    A splendid pizza! Really scrumptious looking.

    As usual, your story took my breath away… I’m hooked! ;-P

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  12. Amrita says:

    I absolutely love it when your new posts show up in my inbox! The moment that happens, I know for sure that I’m in for a treat. Food from you is eye-popping, colourful, utterly drool-worthy and super inspiring!

  13. Suz says:

    Your pizza is SO beautiful, and I’m completely in love with the garlicky chevre!

    Sorry for the re-follow on Twitter, by the way. I thought I WAS following you already! :S

  14. Jared Smith says:

    Wowwww, this looks delicious! see funky pizza recipes at tiptap.com

  15. cheapethniceatz says:

    Bad bad sourdough starter mommy lol. Well the pizza looks great with your once again fantastic rainbow creation.

    Pins and needles, Dreamboat of hockey guy. You torturing us!

  16. Mara says:

    Impressive pizza! Looking through your blog I’m wowed by your creativity…I love your eat the rainbow philosophy!

  17. Wow, you were right! This pizza turned out sooo beautifully!! I love all those bright veggies, and with three different kinds of cheese and roasted garlic, I bet it was amazing!! Wish I was there to try a slice! And I cannot wait to see what you do with pie!! 🙂

  18. Ha! I can totally relate to your sourdough woes… I wrote a whole post about my sourdough issues that was quite the debacle (don’t know if you read it.) I still haven’t been brave enough to go back and try again. If I were, I would make your pizza in a heartbeat! Holy moly, girl! You made the ultimate pizza. This sounds incredible with all that cheese, garlic and fresh veggies. Count me in! And as always, I can’t wait for the next installment of BBFL 🙂

  19. That pizza looks incredible my friend, and just like a rainbow 😀
    And your story has me hooked!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  20. Dan says:

    Awesome pizza! I am sure it tastes as good as it looks. Now does hockey guy really have a chance vs Dreamboat?…maybe on the ice but nowhere else despite his vulture like patience. Now how high could you get your ice cream cone before it fell? Look forward to the next cliff hanger :).

  21. Your gorgeous sourdough M&M pizza…! lol
    I have some starter in my fridge, so if by any chance, I get to make a pizza before july ends… I´ll join the group! Great idea, not many are game when it comes to sourdough.
    My love for dreamboat returns with this part of the saga… I´m definitely rooting for him. Please try to understand it´s winter here, so there´s no beach or sun to distract me, so, I need part 16 soon!

  22. johanna says:

    yay! new cooking ‘porn’ and part 15!!! too psyched-
    now, i have to wait for part16…bated breath 🙂

  23. I’m lacking motivation and energy. Maybe it’s the insane heat, humidity and really bad hair that’s frustrated me so much that I can’t even bake like I used to. Anway…this rainbow pizza is psychedelic and superb. I WANT A WHOLE one just for MOI!!:) xx (congrats on the awards-well deserved!)

  24. bunkycooks says:

    You are such a tease! I could stay up all night and read the rest of your story. It brings back those wonderful HS/college memories. Can’t wait to hear what comes next!!

  25. Crumbs of Love says:

    Sometimes I feel like I am reliving my younger years… love your dough darling, it looks delicious. I’m coming to NY next week- I’ll be in touch

  26. sweetiepetitti says:

    The rainbow pizzas looks fantastic….your rainbows rock! Your reuniting with Dreamboat at the airport is exactly why my husband steers me around at airports. One passionate hello or goodbye, and I am mush. The whole family stares me down to see if I’m crying yet! Keep it coming…your readers await…

  27. Sammie says:

    Hi Lis! Great job on your pizza! It looks wonderful!!! You make this all look so easy but I bet mine wouldn’t turn out as fantastic when it comes out the oven!! Love all the flavours and colours you picked too! So yummy and pretty!! Love, Sam

  28. I love eating the rainbow and this looks seriously hearty and yummy and just out of this world with the roasted garlic.

  29. Your bright and cheery rainbow pizza looks like a jelly bean pizza:) Love it! Your story has taken on a life of its own! 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your week, Lisa!

  30. jamielifesafeast says:

    First, the pizza is amazing! I love your choice of cheeses and adding the vegetables makes it… a healthy meal! Gorgeous, perfect crust, too. And the story! OMG this is like a soap opera so really you should be posting one episode every day. Waiting with bated breath!

  31. zorra says:

    Oh, my god I am drooling!!!!

  32. Gorgeous pizza – truly – and I read every word. Hilarious and gently real!
    🙂
    Hanging on for part 16

  33. Justine says:

    Awesome pizza…it really does look like a candy pizza..love it! Congrats on Top 9 today!

  34. Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says:

    you sure know how to keep us wanting more. The pizza looks amazing and the story, when is part 16 going live???

  35. Debbie says:

    That pizza looks perfect to eat. Not to heavy on the veggies to wiegh it down and make it soggy. Once again perfection!

  36. Jackie says:

    Oh Yum! That’s all I have to say 🙂

  37. This is beautiful & I love the rainbow … Happy Friday 🙂

  38. First of all, that is one fantastic looking pizza! I thought it was a candy cookie when I first saw the picture. And secondly, I was so nervous to hear about your reaction when seeing Dreamboat again! BTW do you have any pics? I’m picturing him as Matt Dillon way back when 😛

  39. I have had no luck with sourdough either! I have been thinking of starting a new starter but I just know I will kill it in no time lol
    I love the idea of a rainbow pizza. It looks so refreshing and delicious

  40. Karen says:

    Sawq this pizza on FG and I had to see what the secret was. I am drooling at the thought of a layer of roasted garlic cheese. Looking forward to trying it!

  41. Dinavia says:

    Your reunion with Dreamboat was so sweet and sexy, but so was your thing with hockey guy. I don’t know who I like better! I do know I love this pizza! I thought it was a sweet tart at first!

  42. Third time I hope is a charm…why am I being asked to login to wordpress.com??

    So…love the colors, love the veggies (well all but that green one, yet I see zucchini being a nice substitute) and of course…LOVE the story!

  43. This pizza is so gorgeous Lisa. It almost looks like candy. Can we be neighbors?

  44. masyoza says:

    Hi Lisa,
    I tried this today ! It works!
    My family like the sourdough three cheese roasted garlic summer vegetable pizza so much! Thank you for making me look like a professional cooker. 🙂
    submit your food photos on a Food Photography to make others hungry?
    You know it’s fun to do that. LOL. Hey, probably they would do this recipe too. 🙂
    XOXO~

  45. Nikki says:

    Me and my friend just finished your story and we loved it..especially both of your reconnections with him. Really looking forward to part 16!! Just curious…we used to spend summers in Seaside too. What street did you stay on because that apartment complex sounds a lot like the one we stayed at!

    • Lisa says:

      Hi, Nikki…the apartments were on Sampson Ave. If you’re coming from the boardwalk..one block on your right. BUT, I heard they knocked them down a few years ago and rebuilt.

  46. Kathy says:

    You are a very talented story teller and that is one great looking pizza! Made your macaroni and cheese with hot sauce last week and it is soo good!

  47. Sophie33 says:

    What a beautiful & georgous pizza! So colourful & so appetizing!

  48. So sad to hear about Herbie. You killer you – lol! That is the prettiest, more colorful pizza I’ve ever seen!

  49. Kiran says:

    So colorful and pretty summer delight!! Your story-line is definitely addictive. Waiting for more 😀

  50. LOL…part 16??? If you keep going, you’ll have a book, my friend! And, of course, I’ll be back for the next installment…and the next fantastic recipe. Your pizza looks amazing!

  51. Terra says:

    Well you know this pizza addict is loving your gorgeous pizza!!!! Your crust looks thick, but not too thick:-) Homemade dough is really the only way to go….I mean seriously, YUM-O!!! Your idea of a rainbow pizza is so pretty, the blue potatoes are a perfect addition:-) Lovely my friend! Hugs, Terra

  52. Kim Bee says:

    Is it acceptable to show up and just make yummy noises? No. Dang. You can’t see me or hear me but I’m totally making yummy noises right now.

  53. I think this might be the prettiest pizza I’ve ever seen. All the flavors of the season piled up in one place to savor. I love it!

  54. I made this pizza for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. We loved it! Thanks for a great recipe! http://www.edesiasnotebook.com/2012/09/rainbow-veggie-pizza.html

  55. Your pizza looks amazing! I will definitely try this pizza sometime soon!

  56. Pingback: Pizza dough – sourdough starter « A Kitchen Blog

  57. Carole says:

    Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is collecting links to dishes using garlic. I do hope you link this in. This is the link . Please do check out some of the other links – there are a lot of good ones already. Cheers

  58. Carole says:

    Lisa, thanks very much for linking up with Food on Friday: Garlic. Don’t worry I sorted the links out for you. Cheers

    PS I am signing up to follow your blog – a follow back would be fantastic!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *