Vine Ripened Tomato Pizza

Ingredients

  • 8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Pizza dough for two pizzas
  • Pinch of chili flakes
  • 3 1/2 cups Swedish fontina cheese, grated (loosely packed)
  • 20 slices red onions, sliced very thinly
  • 2 medium vine ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 20 cherry tomatoes
  • 6 ounces buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated very finely
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking stone or tile in to heat.
  2. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and the unpeeled garlic cloves.
  3. Sauté, stirring regularly, until the garlic skin begins to caramelize.
  4. Transfer to the oven and roast until the garlic cloves become uniformly golden brown.
  5. Remove and cool.
  6. When cool, remove the roasted garlic from the skins and place into a small bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon to make a paste.
  7. Roll the dough into roughly 10-inch rounds using a pie pin or by pounding and stretching the dough.
  8. Sprinkle a light cutting board or pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina and lay the doughs down on it.
  9. Spread the garlic paste over the doughs then sprinkle the chili flakes evenly and spread the fontina cheese over the dough, leaving a half inch rim without cheese.
  10. Distribute the sliced tomatoes followed by the onion rings.
  11. Arrange the cherry tomatoes evenly over the cheese and onions and sprinkle the fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.
  12. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edge of the crust becomes golden brown and the cheese bubbles in the center.
  13. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board.
  14. Sprinkle the chopped basil over and cut into six or eight pieces.
  15. Serve immediately.