thai pizza.

there's a pizza truck named impossibles that parks on the north shore & sells pies too big to fit in any pizza box. (that or they purposefully buy their boxes small so you're floored by the size of the thing.) their pizzas are incredible, but expensive--around $25. i've never actually tried their thai pizza, but i've heard so much about it that i figured i should try to make my own & see what all the craze was about.

i can't say how it compares to impossibles, but dang, this pizza was gooood.

thai pizza

serves 2-4

(dough from the barefoot contessa)

ingredients:

for the dough:

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 pkg. dry yeast

1 tbs. honey

3 tbs. olive oil

4 cups flour

2 tsp. salt

cornmeal

for the sauce:

3 tbs. peanut butter

2 tbs. honey

1 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

toppings:

olive oil

1 cup mozzarella, grated

1 large carrot, grated

1 scallion, diced

2 tbs red. onion, diced

1 tbs. cilantro, minced

1/4 cup bean sprouts

1. combine the water, yeast, honey & olive oil in a large bowl & let sit for 5-10 minutes, until yeast is foamy. (you can do this in an electric mixer or with a hand mixer. if you're a college student like me, mixing with a wooden spoon does the job.)

2. add 3 cups flour & the salt, & mix. add the remaining flour as you mix. (sometimes i don't add all of that last cup. you just want to form a good dough that's not too sticky.)

3. knead the dough until smooth & elastic, either in the mixer or by hand.

4. place the dough in a well-oiled bowl & turn it over to cover the dough with oil. cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel & let sit for 30 min. to 1 hour at room temperature.

5. combine the ingredients for the sauce with a whisk in a small bowl. set aside.

6. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. after the dough has risen, punch it to let the air out & move the dough to a baking sheet (a big one). form the dough into a circle with your fingers, pushing from the middle out, & leaving about 1/2" crust around the edges. let dough sit for another 10 minutes.

7. lightly oil the edges of the pizza, & liberally spread the peanut sauce across the entire pizza. top with carrots, red onion, scallions & mozzarella. bake at 400 degrees for about 30 min. (check it! how long it takes will vary depending on your oven.) the edges & cheese should be golden brown.

8. sprinkle with cilantro & bean sprouts before serving.