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Step 4Topping and baking your pizza
1. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Set one rack in the lowest position in your oven. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the rack before you preheat, so that it can heat to the same temperature as the oven. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can just as easily bake the pizza on a baking sheet. A pizza stone is a good investment, however, as it makes for a nice crisp outside and tender inside to your pizza crust. I highly recommend it.
2. Generously flour a section of counter or a silpat* mat. This a really important step. The dough is very sticky, and this is when you will be adding in enough flour to make it workable, but not so much as to make it tough. So flour the counter well, and the rolling pin, and the top of the dough. Roll out half the pizza dough for one pizza, to 3/4-inch thick. You can make it round, or square, or free form in shape - I haven't found that either one tastes better than the other, but I've always like the rustic look of the free form pizza. (*A silpat mat in a silicone baking mat that can be laid over your counter before flouring. It will make transferring the dough to the pizza stone easier, and make cleaning up a cinch. If you don't have one, but ARE baking on a pizza stone, transfer your dough to a floured, reverse baking sheet, so you can then slide the dough onto the stone once it is topped.)
3. Now for the toppings: First sprinkle about 1/4 of the cheese mixture over the dough. This will help the rest of the toppings adhere to the crust once baked. Lay the eggplant slices over the crust, leaving a 3/4-inch edge for holding, and overlapping the slices where necessary. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Finally, drizzle the garlic-chili oil, garlic and chili included, over the top of the cheese. Make sure to drizzle it lightly and evenly over the entire pizza, or you will end up with pockets of heat - unless, of course, that is what you are going for!
4. If you floured your surface really well, this part should will be easy. However, I have made this pizza half a dozen times, and this step has not gotten any easier. Using the help of a large spatula, slide the pizza off the counter and onto your baking sheet, or if you are using a stone, off the silpat or reversed baking sheet and onto the stone. Don't worry about squishing and smushing the pizza as you move it, you can adjust its size slightly once in the oven. Be careful not to burn yourself on the pizza stone - it is currently at 500 F! Close the oven and bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes, depending on how brown you like your crust, and how hot your oven runs. Remember - no two ovens are the same.
2. Generously flour a section of counter or a silpat* mat. This a really important step. The dough is very sticky, and this is when you will be adding in enough flour to make it workable, but not so much as to make it tough. So flour the counter well, and the rolling pin, and the top of the dough. Roll out half the pizza dough for one pizza, to 3/4-inch thick. You can make it round, or square, or free form in shape - I haven't found that either one tastes better than the other, but I've always like the rustic look of the free form pizza. (*A silpat mat in a silicone baking mat that can be laid over your counter before flouring. It will make transferring the dough to the pizza stone easier, and make cleaning up a cinch. If you don't have one, but ARE baking on a pizza stone, transfer your dough to a floured, reverse baking sheet, so you can then slide the dough onto the stone once it is topped.)
3. Now for the toppings: First sprinkle about 1/4 of the cheese mixture over the dough. This will help the rest of the toppings adhere to the crust once baked. Lay the eggplant slices over the crust, leaving a 3/4-inch edge for holding, and overlapping the slices where necessary. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Finally, drizzle the garlic-chili oil, garlic and chili included, over the top of the cheese. Make sure to drizzle it lightly and evenly over the entire pizza, or you will end up with pockets of heat - unless, of course, that is what you are going for!
4. If you floured your surface really well, this part should will be easy. However, I have made this pizza half a dozen times, and this step has not gotten any easier. Using the help of a large spatula, slide the pizza off the counter and onto your baking sheet, or if you are using a stone, off the silpat or reversed baking sheet and onto the stone. Don't worry about squishing and smushing the pizza as you move it, you can adjust its size slightly once in the oven. Be careful not to burn yourself on the pizza stone - it is currently at 500 F! Close the oven and bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes, depending on how brown you like your crust, and how hot your oven runs. Remember - no two ovens are the same.
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