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Red Grape, Goat Cheese + Basil Beer-Crusted Pizza

What makes pizza so perfect for entertaining is that you can prep the dough ahead of time, which gets the biggest step in pizza making out of the way. I’ll go so far as to say that this dough actually tastes better if it’s had at least overnight in the fridge, if not several days. Add in the grapes, goat cheese and basil (or any of your favorite toppings) and enjoy the perfect pizza night!
5 from 1 review
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Course: Dinner
Keyword: Pizza, Beer-Crust, Overnight Dough, Grapes, Basil, Goat Cheese
Servings: 3 Pizzas
Author: Rebecca Firth

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 12 ounces light-flavored beer or water, (room temperature)
  • 4 teaspoons dry yeast ((or ¼ cup fresh starter))
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, (plus extra for dusting your hands and the dough)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, (plus extra for the bowl)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons sea salt

For the Sauce

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, (chopped)
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

For the Toppings

  • 8 to 12 ounces fresh mozzarella or burrata
  • 1 ½ cups red grapes
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 3 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 ounces parmesan, (finely shredded)
  • olive oil to drizzle over the top
  • parsley or other fresh herbs to sprinkle on the top
  • dried chili pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

For the Dough

  • In an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment add the beer and yeast and let sit for 15 minutes until it’s foamy and frothy. Add in your flour, olive oil, honey and salt and knead on medium-high for about 15 minutes.
  • In the beginning the dough will stick to the bottom of the mixer…as it continues to knead it will start to form a smooth and elastic dough ball. When you’re ready to get it out of the bowl, lightly flour your hands and sprinkle the dough with flour to help get it out. It will be a bit oozy. That’s ok. Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil, set the dough inside, turning to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
  • Once your dough has doubled in size, separate it into three or six equally sized dough balls (whichever you prefer, depending on how many pizzas you want to make) and set on parchment paper that’s been lightly dusted in flour. Lightly dust the tops of the dough balls with flour as well. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let sit for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Once they’ve doubled in size, shape each ball into a disc…gently stretching into a round shape…don’t go for perfect, that’s part of the charm of homemade pizza. You may need to use a wee bit of flour to keep it from sticking. Set the shaped pizza dough on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

For the Sauce

  • For the sauce, in a medium bowl combine the basil, parsley, olive oil and balsamic and set aside.

To Assemble

  • Put about 2 tablespoons of the green sauce on each pizza, leaving a 1-inch gutter around the edge that is sauce free. Sprinkle with some mozzarella (don’t overdo it), add the grapes, basil, goat cheese and parmesan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
  • Bake the pizza on the parchment-covered baking sheet on the top rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes until bronzed and charred in spots. Let sit for at least five minutes before cutting into the pizzas…you want the cheese to firm up a bit. Sprinkle with some fresh herbs and/or dried chili pepper flakes and eat. Enjoy!!!
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo