Rustic Burrata & Salami Pizza
My husband is a big time fan of pizza, especially homemade pizza. Me, on the other hand, I can go a long time without eating pizza. When I do eat a pizza I want the crust to be on the thinner side on the bottom and have a super bubbly and chewy crust. A few nights ago we made a pizza with a crust that was absolutely amazing. I played around with dough – this one that works amazingly with very little hands on work. It’s delicious the day you make it and even better 3 days later after it has rested in the fridge. This is a longer than usual post. Bear with me. It’s worth it.
Let’s make a rustic pizza with burrata cheese and salami, topped with arugula!
You are going to want to plan ahead for this recipe. The dough has a slow and long ferment (“rise”) in a cool/cold place. We loved this dough on day one. On day two it was amazing and on day three it was spectacular. The longer it ferments the better the gluten is developed and the texture is chewy and delicious.
** I took the photos for this post over the three days we made pizzas, so photos will show different shapes of dough and different plates (and one with shredded mozz because we gobbled up the burrata on days one and two) and I totally didn’t take pics of mixing the dough. Don’t laugh. We keep things real around here.
( No pics of these first few steps because I wasn’t sure I was going to blog it.) In a stand mixer add all the dry ingredients with a whisk or spoon, then add the wet ingredients. Give it a good mix, then cover and let it sit for about 5 – 7 minutes. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 8 – 10 minutes or for 10 -15 minutes by hand. The dough will be slightly sticky, but not sloppy sticky and not too wet. If the dough is not pulling away from the sides add additional flour 1 Tbs at a time and mix for a couple minutes. The dough will still stick to the bottom of the bowl, but should pull away from the sides. Dough will be sticky/tacky. You want this! This will make a bubbly crust.
Take your dough out of the mixer bowl, weight it and measure into 6 balls of dough. Or you can be a rebel and eyeball it. My dough balls ended up weighing about 209 grams each. Roll each piece into balls and place on the parchment. Using the olive oil you set aside earlier rub each ball lightly with oil.
Now here is where you can choose your own adventure…
If not baking immediately: Rub the entire ball of dough with olive oil and wrap each ball with plastic wrap, place in a zip top bag, press out the air, label, and put in the freezer or refrigerator. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The slow ferment in the fridge gives it an even more amazing flavor and texture. At this point you’re done. Enjoy your pizza another day. (When you’re ready to bake your pizzas take your dough out and let it come to room temp in the bag, then shape and bake as usual.)
If baking the pizzas immediately: Let the dough sit in a cold/cool place (like a cold counter or in an oven that is turned off, light off) for 2 1/2 hours for a slow ferment. Dough will increase slightly in size but will not double as you’d expect regular bread dough to double. If you’re baking your pizzas tonight keep on reading…
Ok, wait a sec… While your dough is chilling, make your sauce. It’s absolutely delicious and goes together quickly.
- While the dough is proofing in a cool place prepare your sauce.
- Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet and add in the onion. Saute until translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. Don’t scorch the garlic or it will be bitter.
- Add 1 Tbs tomato paste to the pan and stir to cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, basil and a few pinches of salt and pepper (you can adjust this later). Let simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness. Take off heat, and let cool.
Preheat your oven and stone (about 40 mins prior to baking)
Set your oven to 525* and place your stone/steel in the oven. Let it get screaming hot.
Let’s shape the dough!
After 2 hours shape your dough, one by one. Generously sprinkle flour over your counter, place one ball on the flour and gently pat out into your desired shape. The dough will be nice and relaxed and should stretch beautifully. Pat your dough out fairly thinly and leave a slightly thicker edge for the outside crust. (My dough stretched out nicely to about 9″-ish diameter.)
Carefully transfer your dough to a pizza peel that has been generously sprinkled with cornmeal.
To your shaped dough, on the pizza peel – lightly brush the entire top with olive oil, then top with desired amount of marinara sauce. Add your cheese, meat and dash of red pepper flakes, black pepper. Very carefully slide your pizza from the peel directly onto your preheated stone. You may need to jiggle the peel slightly to get the pizza to slide off the peel.
Bake your pizza for roughly 5 – 7 minutes. You may need to rotate your pizza if your oven cooks unevenly. When your pizza is bubbly and looks amazing carefully remove it from the stone with the pizza peel. Set onto a cooling rack for a few minutes so the cheese can settle a bit. The cheese will be like molten lava, don’t burn yourself. Top the pizza with arugula and cut into slices. Enjoy!
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know! And leave a comment.
Look at that crust!
Rustic Burrata & Salami Pizza with Arugula
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 5 1/2 Cups AP Flour (or super fine flour, like '00" flour) *I love Wheat Montana flour
- 1 tsp Yeast Instant – or – Active dry
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 T Olive oil *set 1 Tbs aside
- 2 1/4 Cups Water, very cold
- Cornmeal
Marinara Sauce
- 15 oz Crushed tomatoes
- 1 T Olive oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, finely diced/minced
- 1 T Basil, dried
- 1/2 – 1 T Tomato Paste
- Kosher Salt
- Cracked black pepper
Toppings
- 1/2 pound Salami, sliced thinly
- 1/4 ea Onion, sliced thinly
- 1 – 2 balls Burrata cheese, sliced or torn in pieces
- 1 bunch Baby arugula
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 pinch Cracked black pepper
Instructions
Prepare stone/steel
- Place your baking stone/steel in a cold oven and preheat oven to 525* F about 40 minutes before you are ready to bake your pizza. You want your oven and stone/steel to be blazing hot.
Dough
- Add dry ingredients (flour, salt, yeast) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together with a whisk until combined. Add dough hook to mixer.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes until well combined and there is no loose, dry flour in the bottom. Cover and let rest for about 5 – 7 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Uncover dough and knead the dough (on low speed) for about 8-10 minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky, but not sloppy sticky and not too wet. If the dough is not pulling away from the sides add additional flour 1 Tbs at a time and mix for a couple minutes. The dough will still stick to the bottom of the bowl, but should pull away from the sides. Dough will be sticky/tacky.
- Remove dough from the mixer and place on a floured counter. Divide dough into 6 even pieces. (You can weigh your dough and divide by 6. Mine weighed out at roughly 209 grams each ball.) Roll each piece into balls and place on the parchment. Using the 1 Tbs of olive oil you set aside earlier rub each ball lightly with oil.
- If not baking immediately: Rub the entire ball of dough with olive oil and wrap each ball with plastic wrap, place in a zip top bag, press out the air, label, and put in the freezer or refrigerator. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The slow ferment in the fridge gives it an even more amazing flavor and texture. At this point you're done. Enjoy your pizza another day.If baking the pizzas immediately: Let the dough sit in a cold/cool place (like a cold counter or in an oven that is turned off, light off) for 2 hours for a slow ferment. Follow Steps 7 on.
- After 2 1/2 hours shape your dough, one by one. Generously sprinkle flour over your counter, place one ball on the flour and gently pat out into your desired shape. The dough will be nice and relaxed and should stretch beautifully. Pat your dough out fairly thinly and leave a slightly thicker edge for the outside crust. (My dough stretched out nicely to about 9"-ish diameter.)
- Carefully transfer your dough to a pizza peel that has been generously sprinkled with cornmeal.
Marinara Sauce
- While the dough is proofing in a cool place prepare your sauce.
- Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet and add in the onion. Saute until translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. Don't scorch the garlic or it will be bitter.
- Add 1 Tbs tomato paste to the pan and stir to cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, basil and a few pinches of salt and pepper (you can adjust this later). Let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until it reaches your desired thickness. I like a less runny marinara for my pizzas. Take off heat, and let cool.
Assembly
- To your shaped dough, on the pizza peel – lightly brush the entire top with olive oil, then top with desired amount of marinara sauce. Add your cheese, meat and dash of red pepper flakes, black pepper.
- Very carefully slide your pizza from the peel directly onto your preheated stone. You may need to jiggle the peel slightly to get the pizza to slide off the peel.
Bake
- Bake your pizza for roughly 5 – 7 minutes. You may need to rotate your pizza if your oven cooks unevenly.
- When your pizza is bubbly and looks amazing carefully remove it from the stone with the pizza peel. Set onto a cooling rack for a few minutes so the cheese can settle a bit. The cheese will be like molten lava, don't burn yourself.
- Top the pizza with arugula and cut into slices. Enjoy!