Roasted Roma Tomatoes + Smoked Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza

This is one of my favorite pizza combinations I have ever made, and I have made quite a few pizzas in my day. The smoked cheese and the sweet, roasted roma tomatoes play well together on top of a quick-to-make olive oil crust. The flavor profile of this pie reminds me very much of southern barbeque with all of its sweetness and smoke. You must try this next time you make pizza at your house.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups bread flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast

1/8 cup olive oil

about 6 ounces of warm water

The flour, salt, and yeast go into the food processor with the dough blade attached. With the food processor running, pour the olive oil in and then slowly add enough water to bring the mixture together into a ball. You will know when this happens. Roll the dough into a ball and set it on a plate covered by a large bowl to rise for an hour or so.

For the topping:

10 large roma tomatoes (peeled, halved, and seeded)

1 large ball of smoked buffalo mozzarella (sliced)

2 ounces of goat cheese (crumbled)

parsley (chopped)

salt & pepper

olive oil

Place your pizza stone on the bottom rack, and start to preheat your oven to 550 degrees. Place tomatoes cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes in the oven until they begin to darken on the corners. Remove tomatoes and turn them over. Place them back in the oven for a few minutes to get some color on the other side. Remove them and allow them to cool. Roll, toss, or pat your dough ball into a twelve-inch round. Add flour to your pizza peel and transfer the raw crust to the peel. Smash roasted tomatoes into the crust, and top that with sliced mozzarella and crumbled goat cheese. Slide this onto your pizza stone and allow it to bake for about 8 minutes. Remove pizza, drizzle with a little olive oil and return it to the oven for 2 more minutes or until desired doneness is achieved. Allow pizza to cool for a few minutes, add chopped parsley, slice, and enjoy!