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Eggplant Pizza
Susan Phillips
Read Bio »Eggplant Pizza
Man, I am on a pizza KICK!
I think it might be the dough. It’s so easy to make and makes all the difference in the world!
I loved walking out to my garden to pick this eggplant fresh from the stem and serve it to my family about an hour later. It makes one feel so accomplished….you grow it, you nurture it, you use it to nourish your peeps. Satisfaction!
Thankfully for you, eggplant is in season right now in California, so even if you don’t grow your own eggplant, you can easily waltz right into the store and buy yourself one of these purple beauties and create this pizza in a snap.
A little prep first…. slice the eggplant into thin(ish) slices. You can cut them lengthwise or crosswise, totally up to you. Me? I like the shape of the eggplant so I went lengthwise!
Using our dough recipe included, add fresh mozzarella discs to the prepared dough
Sprinkle with a bit of chopped red onion
Cover with the sliced eggplant (I sautéed mine in olive oil for a few minutes before)
Top with a bit of shredded mozzarella, parmesan and maitake mushrooms….Now don’t let the mushroom type scare you….. they are grown right here in California!
I found this Culinary Mix of Mushrooms from Gourmet Mushrooms at my local Vons! I always have one of these packages in my refrigerator to use it throughout the week. Love it!
The last step is to bake the pizza at a very high heat (550) and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil to top it off
Crisp, tasty perfection!
The eggplant is very mild, so no need to worry about overpowering flavors. The cheese and the sautéed eggplant just seem to melt into each other and create a beautiful dish for you and your family to enjoy…
The perfect Fall dinner!
Here is the easy recipe for ya….
- For dough
- 3 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- For Pizza
- 1 eggplant, sliced 1/4" thin
- 1/8 red onion, chopped
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
- 6 oz. maitake mushrooms (or any other variety)
- fresh basil leaves, chopped
- To make the dough, place the flours and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl and let sit for five minutes until the mixture bubbles slightly. Add the olive oil and stir. With the mixer on low, gradually add the oil-water mixture into the bowl. Knead until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into three equal balls. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (Be sure to oil the parchment paper.) Place the balls on a sheet. Lightly rub the balls with olive oil, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the balls rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in bulk, about one to two hours
- Preheat oven to 550 degrees
- Sauté the sliced eggplant in a bit of olive oil on both sides in a pan (I used cast iron)
- To roll out the dough, dab your fingers in flour and then place one ball on a generously floured work surface. Press down in the center with the tips of your fingers, spreading the dough with your hand. When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin and roll out until it is very thin, like flatbread. The outer portion should be a little thicker than the inner portion
- Top the pizza dough with sliced fresh mozzarella
- Sprinkle with red onion and then add the sautéed eggplant
- Sprinkle with additional shredded mozzarella and parmesan
- Dot the top with mushrooms
- Bake for 10-14 minutes or until browned and dough is cooked
- Slice and sprinkle top with chopped fresh basil
- You will have one ball of dough leftover, you can make an additional pizza, or wrap in plastic wrap and put in the freezer until ready to use.
Don’t forget to check out these other pizzas we’ve made!
Nectarine Arugula Pizza
Pear Prosciutto Pizza
