Prosciutto and Portobello Mushroom Pizza

Makes 2 pizzas

Ingredients:
1 portobello mushroom, stemmed
3 teaspoons/15 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour, for dusting
Two 8-ounce/230-g balls purchased pizza dough
Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
6 marinated quartered artichoke hearts, each cut in half lengthwise
6 ounces/160 g grated mozzarella cheese
4 very thin slices prosciutto
1/2 cup (lightly packed) fresh arugula
1/2 cup/130 ml Homemade Pizza Sauce (see recipe on page 1)

Method:

To preheat the baking stone and roast the mushroom:

Place a large baking stone on the bottom shelf in the oven, then preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Heating the baking stone well in advance will allow enough time for it to become very hot before baking the pizzas on it. Baking on the very hot stone will create pizzas with crisp crusts.

Place the portobello mushroom on a heavy baking sheet.  Drizzle 1 teaspoon/5 ml of olive oil over the mushroom.  Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the mushroom is tender and its juices exude.  Allow the mushroom to cool. 

Cut the mushroom into 3/4-inch/2-cm slices. Combine the mushroom strips and any accumulated juices in a bowl. Season the mushroom strips to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

To prepare the pizzas:

Lightly dust the work surface with flour and press 1 ball of dough on the work surface into a circle.  Continue to press the dough into a thin round disk that is about the same diameter of a dinner plate (about 8 inches/20 cm), being careful not to over-work the gluten in the flour by over-kneading it.

Once the pizza dough is formed, lightly dust the pizza paddle with flour or cornmeal and place the dough on the pizza paddle.  Spread 1/4 cup/65 ml of pizza sauce in a thin layer over the pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch/1-cm border around the edge.

Arrange half of the mushroom strips and artichokes over the pizza. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the pizza.  Immediately transfer the pizza from the paddle to the hot baking stone in the oven.

Bake the pizza for about 10 minutes or until the bottom is crisp and deep golden brown and the cheese has melted and become pale golden on top. Using the pizza paddle, remove the pizza from the stone and transfer to a cutting board.   

Repeat with the remaining ball of pizza dough, pizza sauce, mushrooms, artichokes and cheese.  Drape the prosciutto over the pizzas. Scatter the arugula over the pizzas, then drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons/10 ml of oil.

Cut each pizza into 4 to 6 slices and serve.  Turn the oven off, leaving the baking stone in the oven to cool slowly.