Pizza Dough
1⁄2 cake compressed fresh yeast
2 cups warm water (80 to 90 degrees)
1 cup pastry flour
1 to 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sea salt
3 cups all purpose flour
cayenne (optional)
In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir the yeast into the warm water until it dissolves. Add the 1 cup pastry flour and the salt and mix well. Add the all-purpose flour 1 cup at a time, kneading until the dough is not sticky, about 10 minutes. Continue to knead for about 20 minutes longer, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
For the first rising, shape the dough into a ball and leave it in the mixer or place it on a lightly floured work surface. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm (75 degrees), draft-free place for 4 hours. Punch the dough down and divide it into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm (75 degrees), draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours, until doubled.
Toppings
18 ounces taleggio (cut into cubes)
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups baby or arugula
3 Anjou or Asian pears (sliced thin)
4 tablespoons truffle oil
sea salt
Preheat oven to highest setting. Place pizza stone in middle shelf of oven. Meanwhile, roll out 6 pizza balls to approximately 10 inches. Top each pizza with 3 ounces of taleggio and a pinch of salt and drizzle 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Place pizza on stone and bake till golden. While pizza is baking, toss arugula, pears, truffle oil, and a pinch of salt. Remove pizza from oven and top with salad.
*(If a more charred pizza is desired, cook pizza half way on bake setting, remove pizza and adjust oven to broil and finish cooking). Makes 6 ten-inch pizzas.
