Dueling Goat Cheese Pizzas: Walnuts, Red Pepper and Basil vs Apple, Walnuts, and Thyme

Yesterday I picked up some apples and goat cheese for a snack (always a great combo!). Today I was getting out the ingredients to make a pizza and thought the apples & goat cheese might work on a pizza, too. Just in case it didn't turn out, I still made the original one as a back-up. Clash of the Goat Cheese Pizzas! (dramatic, I know). Here's how it worked out...

Pizza Crust
I've made a few pizzas lately and I've been struggling with the crust. I can't get it thin enough and it isn't very flavorful. I thought of a pie crust and how adding chilled butter helps to make it flaky. This recipe worked great, though there is some guilt with adding an entire stick of butter... oh well, I'm over it.. :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled & cut into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times so it's mixed well. Add the butter and pulse 15-20 times until the butter is well incorporated. It should look like small peas. In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water and mix well.
2. Using a stand-mixer with a bread hook attached, add the yeast water and turn the mixer on low. Slowly add the flour mixture and let it knead for a few minutes. It will be sticky so you may need to add a dash of flour here and there so it doesn't stick to the sides. Transfer the dough to a floured cutting board. Cut it in half and shape into two balls. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the dough and toppings are ready, transfer the dough ball to the baking sheet. Using your hand, spread out the dough into a 10" circle. It will be soft and flexible but shouldn't be sticky. Use a fork to poke several holes in the top of the dough. Bake for 5 minutes; remove from oven and brush lightly with olive oil. Add the toppings and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the crust is browned.

Serving size: Makes 2-10" pizzas
WW: 11 pts for half a pizza

Goat cheese, walnut, red pepper, and basil pizza
I first had a pizza like this at the Ale Asylum in Madison, WI. I can't remember if their version has a sauce or not so I made a bechamel (white sauce) and added roasted garlic. It's possible I ate an entire head of garlic today...

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 head roasted garlic*
• 1-2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup roasted red pepper, sliced
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves, sliced

1. Make the white sauce: in a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes until the flour is bubbly. Stir in the milk slowly and continue stirring until the sauce thickens, 6-10 minutes. Add 6 cloves of roasted garlic (I suppose you could add less if you aren't a lover of garlic like me). Transfer to a mini food processor and blend well. Let the sauce cool.
2. To assemble the pizza, spread a thick layer of white sauce over the pre-cooked crust. Add the red pepper, walnuts, goat cheese, and additional garlic cloves (if desired). Top with the basil. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the crust is browned.

WW: 10 pts for half a pizza (not including crust)

*To roast the garlic, slice the top quarter off the head of the garlic bulb. Drizzle some olive oil over the open garlic and sprinkle some salt. Wrap up in a ball of foil and roast in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Let it cool and peel the skin off the garlic to expose the cloves.

Goat cheese, apple, walnut, and thyme pizza
Wow.. this was a great surprise! I knew the flavors of the apples & goat cheese would work. Added with the crunch of the walnuts and the balance of the thyme... wow. A fantastic change from the traditional meat & cheese pizza. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced (I used braeburn)
• 1 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Assemble the pizza: sprinkle the nutmeg over the pre-cooked pizza crust. Add the mozzarella, don't overlap the pieces but place them as close together as possible. Layer the apple slices so they overlap a bit; you may only use half - save the rest for a snack. Top with the goat cheese crumbles, walnuts, and thyme. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the crust is browned.

WW: 8 pts for half a pizza (not including crust)

In the end, I think both pizzas turned out great! If I had to pick a winner, I'd probably go with the red pepper & basil pizza, simply because of the garlic sauce. My body will probably have the scent of garlic oozing out of my pores for the next 24 hours... a sacrifice I'm willing to make.