Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Pizza

I am admittedly a pizza snob. If given the choice, I would rather not eat at any of the popular chain pizza places. I prefer gourmet, mom and pop-styled pizza that can be hard to find outside of Chicago or New York. That has led me to my extensive experience/experiments with homemade pizza. I would much rather make my own pizza then *cringe* order delivery. (See, I told you I was a pizza snob). When I make my own, I can control how much cheese I put on it. It's always hot when it "arrives". I get to decide the thickness of the crust and make sure that it is baked to the perfect crispness. The flavor possibilities are limitless- not dictated by how much I'm willing to shell out for extra toppings. And finally, in a household like mine, there is no big discussion about what kind of pizza we will order. 1/3 cheese, 1/3 sausage, and 1/3 kalamata olives? Not a problem! Thanks to our fresh produce from Washington's Green Grocer, this week I made a shiitake mushroom and leek pizza with extra cheese.Yum!

As for the dough, a couple of weeks ago, my friend and fellow blogger at Midnight Train to DC and I were discussing the legitimacy of cooking homemade pizza using Pillsbury Pizza Dough. (We threw down a pretty crazy Provence Herb Cheese Pizza made with salsa instead of pizza sauce). Occasionally, I make my own dough, but normally I decide on my dinner plans too late for that kind of indulgence. Although, if you are interested in attempting homemade pizza with your own dough, here is a good recipe. We, however, agreed that it was just fine to use ready made dough. To me it tastes better than other pre-baked pizza dough options. I have also heard that you can make pizza dough with a bread machine, but I haven't yet tried it. Maybe next time. What are your thoughts on using Pillsbury pizza dough in place of the real thing?

 

Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Pizza Ingredients

1  can of Pillsbury Pizza Crust

3.5 oz Shittake Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1/2 stalk of leek, cleaned and sliced

1 cup Pizza Sauce

2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

a few dashes of dried Italian spices (oregano, basil, etc)

 

Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Pizza Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Unroll Pillsbury pizza crust and using your hands, spread it out to desired thickness across the pan. Pour pizza sauce on top of the uncooked pizza crust and distribute it evenly. Add mozzarella cheese. Layer mushrooms and leeks on top of cheese. Dash a bit of seasoning on top. Cook in the oven for 13-17 minutes or until crust is browned to your desired crispness.

 

Ed's Verdict: Pizza! Who doesn't love homemade pizza? I'm sure some prosciutto or Serrano ham would have made this even better, but he really liked the mushroom/leek combo. And shiitake mushrooms taste awesome! I'm pretty sure cavemen ate lots of pizza.