Smashed Tomato & Sopressata Pizza
This pizza is like the grown-up, hotshot version of the college-dorm classic, pepperoni. You could say that the ingredients are a step-above—or just bolder, richer, and a little more sassy. Thinly sliced sopressata shrinks, curls, and crisps in the oven like no other pizza topping. It’s a dreamy combination with the melted globs of mozzarella and bursts of fresh tomato.
A grown-up version of your favorite college-dorm pizza—stepped-up with sopressata (instead of pepperoni), fresh mozz, and rosemary.
- 2 dry pints (3-4 c.) mini grape, cherry, or heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 24-28 oz. prepared room-temperature pizza dough, unbaked (see TIP A below)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 c. shredded aged Asiago cheese (aged Asiago is typically harder and easier to grate)
- 8-10 thin slices of sopressata, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 4 oz. ball of good quality fresh mozzarella (pressed between several sheets of paper towel if packed in brine, see TIP B)
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
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Combine the tomatoes, minced or grated garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (reserve remaining) in a large bowl. With clean hands, squeeze and crush the tomatoes, garlic, and salt together until soft and pulpy (some large chunks are good!). You may also do this in a food processor by briefly pulsing the mixture 10-15 times. Set aside until ready to use.
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Sprinkle the flour over your work surface and on top of the room-temperature pizza dough (room temperture dough stretches far more easily than cold dough). Divide the dough into 2 even mounds and stretch each mound into a very thin 12+ inch circle using your hands or a rolling pin (the dough will shrink slightly in the oven so err on the side of larger, thinner). Transfer each stretched circle to their own lightly greased baking sheet and gently prick the dough all over with a fork.
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Put the dough circles (untopped) in a pre-heated 450-500° oven for 6-8 minutes. You want them to begin to set-up and develop a hint of brown around the edges, but not fully brown or cook through. After 6-8 minutes, pull the partially baked crusts from the oven.
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Brush each crust with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Use a slotted spoon to distribute half of the crushed tomato mixture over each crust (leave most of the tomato juice behind and dicard or store for future use—great for flavoring rice or pasta water). Then top each with the chopped rosemary and Asiago cheese (divide evenly between the pizzas). Tear or slice the mozzarella ball into chunks and evenly distribute the mozzarella chunks and sopressata pieces around the pizzas. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper over top. Return the pizzas to the oven for 15-18 minutes until the crusts turns firm and golden, the cheese completely melts, and the sopressata slices begin to caramelize and curl around the edges (rotate the pizzas between oven racks as needed). When done, remove the pizzas from the oven, cut into even slices, and enjoy!
TIP A: I've tried a lot of store-bought pizza dough varieties, and my hands-down favorite is Whole Foods Market® Neapolitan style. If you prefer whole-wheat, then give Trader Joe's® 100% Whole-Wheat dough a try. Both are incredibly tasty and great weeknight stand-ins. That said, nothing beats making it yourself according to Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough. It's worth every bit of effort and yields a huge batch. Great if you're making multiple pizzas or flatbreads.
TIP B: Most good mozzarella is packed in water or brine to help keep it fresh, but this excess water can also leech-out during cooking and result in soggy pizza. I recommend pressing any fresh, brine-packed mozzarella between several sheets of paper towel (or even weighting it down with a heavy pan) to release some of the water before you add it to your pizza.