NEW YORK STYLE STEAK BALSAMIC PIZZA WITH WHOLE WHEAT CRISPY CRUST

Even though it is January, which is a month of health talk, I made this pizza a few weeks ago and could not, not post it. If you know me, one of my favorite indulgences is steak. I don't eat it often, but when I do it better be damn good and creatively flavored. This recipe is that to a tee. Mushrooms are another favorite food of mine. The earthy flavor of mushrooms is just the best on pizza. If you are not a huge mushroom lover, you can always leave them at grocery store or substitute them for another vegetable.

I wanted to create a crispy whole wheat crust to pair with the toppings because I often find whole wheat crust to be soggy. There are two steps to creating that crispy love. Step one, preheat your pan in the oven while the oven is preheating. I read this somewhere on Pinterest and unfortunately I do not remember the blogger I picked this idea up from. By preheating your pan you are allowing the bottom of the dough to cook a bit faster than the rest of the pizza. This is good because too often people serve homemade pizza with a soggy crust that doesn't hold up. Step two is to roll out the dough as thin as possible. No deep dish here. The dough is obviously going to cook way faster thin and I find that whole wheat crust takes slightly longer to cook than regular flour crust. I hope you give this recipe a go and enjoy all the sweet love I put into it!

Steak & Mushroom Balsamic Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

Ingredients:

// Crust //

• 1/4 ounce of dry active yeast
• 4 ounces of warm water
• 1/2 tablespoon of organic coconut sugar
• 7 ounces of organic whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of organic raw honey
• 3 cloves of organic garlic
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

// Toppings //

• 2 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of danish blue cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan or Asiago
• 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 small steak thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon of rosemary
• 1 teaspoon of chives

Steps:

1. Mix the yeast, coconut sugar, and warm water together in a bowl. Set that aside to bloom for about 7 minutes. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, olive oil, raw honey, garlic, rosemary, and dried basil. After blooming, add the water mix to the large bowl. Mix with a dough hook gradually increasing the speed. Keep allowing the mixer to knead the dough until it is soft, free of lumps, and is stretchy.  Place the finished dough in a warm place for 20 minutes. This dough should proof pretty quickly.
2. While your dough rises, place the cream cheese, balsamic vinegar, and blue cheese into a small bowl. Combine these ingredients with a spoon until well incorporated. This will act as a "sauce" for the pizza. 
3. Prep the mushrooms, steak, rosemary, and lemon. After slicing the steak, season with sea salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 500'F, yes very hot. Oil the pan you plan on cooking on with the teaspoon of olive oil and pop it in the oven to warm up while the it preheats.
5. Take the dough on a floured surface and roll it out as thin as possible. If you think you can get it thinner, keep rolling. Whole wheat crust is best very thin as it only crisps up that way. Situate the dough on the hot pan and begin assembling. 
6. Take the cream cheese & balsamic mixture and plop small amounts onto the dough. Spread out the mixture into a thin layer with the back of a spoon. Next, layer the Parmesan or Asiago and then the mozzarella. Lastly, layer the mushrooms on top and place it in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
7. After the first baking, add the seasoned steak, lemon zest, rosemary, and chives. The pizza goes back in the oven for another 7 to 10 minutes. You want the steak to cooked to about medium well and the pizza to be golden brown around the edge. Pulling it out too soon may cause the cause to be soggy or the steak to underdone. Serve the pizza soon after. It can be kept and refrigerate for up to 5 days!