Mushroom & Blue Cheese Stovetop Pizza

I am beginning to realise that The Princess is leaving the golden age of childhood behind and is implanting herself firmly in the teenage years.  The biggest clue is the irrationality.  She recently informed me she no longer liked my flat bread pizzas.  No explanation as to why, although I was thrown a “how could you not know that, what kind of mother are you?” look.  Yet she would still like (or is that requires) some form of pizza for lunch, so could I just get cooking please.

Enter the stovetop pizza.  I have a lot of cookbooks, and occasionally I even read them.  It was whilst browsing Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day that I discovered the concept of stovetop pizza.  I normally have a bucket of stored dough in the fridge, ready to whip up quick flatbreads, foccacia or pizza scrolls, so the idea of a quick pizza appealed greatly.

Stovetop pizzas are the perfect meal for one or, at a stretch, two.  They are simple to whip up, and you can be eating pizza in the time it normally takes to pre-heat the oven.  However, if you want to make more than two pizzas I suggest you just use the oven as it starts to become less time effective the more you make.

I love mushrooms on pizza.  Actually I just love mushrooms, whilst they seem to remain on The Princess’s ‘foods to avoid at all costs’ list.  So a pizza for one means I can put whatever I like on it, with no complaints from the child. I do have to fight her for the blue cheese though, as it is apparently less offensive than mushrooms.  Go figure.

If you don’t like either mushrooms or blue cheese, use your favourite pizza toppings.  Keep in mind that less is more, and consider the reduced cooking time when selecting ingredients.  I have previously added chorizo by slicing it quite finely, which allows it to cook properly.  If  adding bacon or chicken, I would cook them first.

The downside to the stovetop pizza is that I am back to making lunch, just when I thought I had managed to palm that task off.  The upside is that it seems to be a winner with The Princess … for now.

Mushroom & Blue Cheese Stovetop Pizza   Print Prep time 5 mins Cook time 7 mins Total time 12 mins   I use a 22cm fry pan to make this pizza. You will need a lid of some form. I just use the lid from a similar size pot. Try and get the best fit you can but it doesn't need to be absolutely perfect.
If you are not a mushroom and/or blue cheese fan then just use your favourite toppings. Author: Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas Serves: Makes 1 pizza Ingredients

• 200g stored bread dough
• Homemade pizza sauce, or your favourite sauce
• Grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 large mushrooms, sliced
• Blue cheese
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley.

Instructions

1. Place the fry pan on a low heat to warm up and pre-heat your grill (broiler).
2. Form your dough into a round ball, then flatten into a circle the size of your fry pan either with your hands or a rolling pin.
3. Put your flattened circle of dough into the fry pan*.
4. Quickly spread the pizza sauce over the dough, scatter over the cheese and arrange the toppings.
5. Place a lid on the fry pan and turn the heat up to medium.
6. Allow to cook for 5 minutes without lifting the lid. After this time, lift the lid and check your pizza. If the dough doesn't look cooked, continue cooking for another 2 minutes (with the lid on). Take care not to burn the base of the pizza.
7. Remove the lid and flash the fry pan under the grill (broiler) for 1 - 2 minutes, until the top has bubbled and browned.
8. Slide the pizza out of the fry pan onto a plate.
9. Slice and enjoy.

Notes * I remove the warmed pan from the heat and assemble my pizza on the bench, then return the fry pan to the heat. 3.2.2807

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