Ramps! No, not a colony of social insects, but a sweet wild leek that is a member of the onion family with a flavor combination of spring onions and mild garlic. Delicious. The season is very short, from late March to mid April, so run to the farmers market and get them while you can!
Ingredients for dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
Ingredients for top
- 10 Strips of good bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 10 ramps, trimmed, cleaned, and cut into 1 inch lengths
- 8-10 Farmers market mushrooms of your choice (I like a variety for this)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 8 oz Fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 Cup arugula
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese
To make the dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flour together with the yeast, salt and sugar. Pour in the water and stir well with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Transfer the pizza dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let stand in a warm place until the pizza dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
If you have a pizza stone, place it on the bottom or on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. If you are placing the pizza directly onto the middle rack, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
The topping
Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the bacon and render for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the ramps and mushrooms. Sauté for 2 minutes stirring constantly to achieve even color being careful not to burn anything. Set pan aside.
Punch down the pizza dough and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and evenly scatter the ramp and mushroom mixture onto the dough. Next, top with the crumbled goat cheese.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom is crispy and the top is bubbling. Top with the arugula, freshly grated Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese, and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Serves 4