Recipe: Kale and Onion Pizza and Magic Bread Dough

KALE AND ONION PIZZA
"There's no tomato here because I like to emphasize the more unusual flavor of the kale. In the heat of the oven, the kale becomes crisp and dark, and takes on a flavor not dissimilar to that delicious deep-fried "seaweed" you can get in Chinese restaurants in the UK. I sometimes add a few sauteed sliced mushrooms to the pizza before it goes into the oven."



Makes 3 pizzas, each serving 2 or 3

1 recipe magic bread dough (recipe follows)
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 (10 ounce) bunch of curly or Lacinato kale, stems removed
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil, plus a little extra to trickle
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely slivered
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 3 1/2 ounces mature cheddar, grated

Prepare the dough, leave it to rise until doubled as directed below.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, if it goes that high, or to at least 425 degrees F. Put in a baking sheet to heat up.

While the dough is rising, shred the kale leaves into 1/4 to 1/3-inch wide ribbons. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions. Once sizzling, decrease the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until the onions are soft and golden, 10 to 15 minutes, adding the garlic halfway through. Stir the shredded kale into the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often, until the leaves have wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

After punching down the risen dough, leave it to rest for a few minutes, then cut it into three pieces. Roll out one piece as thinly as you can.

Scatter a baking peel (if you have one) or another baking sheet with a little flour and place the rolled-out dough on it. Spread one-third of the kale and one-third of the onions on the dough, then top with one-third of the grated cheddar. Trickle with a little oil.

Slide the pizza onto the hot baking sheet in the oven if formed on a peel, or, if formed on a baking sheet, simply lay the baking sheet on the hot one in the oven.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden. Repeat with the remaining dough and topping. Serve hot, cut into wedges.

MAGIC BREAD DOUGH
Makes 3 pizzas, 8 flat breads, 12 pitas, or umpteen breadsticks

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil, plus a little extra for oiling
1 1/3 cups warm water

Put the two flours into a large bowl with the salt and yeast. Mix well. Add the oil and 1 1/3 cups warm water and mix to a rough dough. Flour your hands a little. Tip out the dough onto a work surface and knead rhythmically for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth. This is quite a loose and sticky dough, which is just as it should be, you get better-textured bread this way, so try not to add too much flour if you can help it. It will become less sticky as you knead.

Trickle a little oil into a clean bowl, add the kneaded dough, and turn it in the oil so it is covered with a light film. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, at least an hour, probably closer to two. You can also proof it in a floured, cloth-lined proofing basket or banneton, like the one in the picture.

When the dough is well risen and puffy, tip it out and punch it down by poking it with your outstretched fingers until it collapses to its former size. It's now ready to be shaped to your will.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Adapted from source: River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall