Find a Consultant Find a Party

California-Style Wild Mushroom Pizza

When making a Californian pizza at home, the key is to just have fun and get creative with some fresh produce and local ingredients that you can find at a farmer's market or your local grocery stores.

This California-style pizza was sent to us by our friend @Brandiego.

Ingredients

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
4 oz. (125 g) wild mushrooms (like maitake, shiitake, shimeji, and golden thread)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg. (13.8 oz./283 g) refrigerated classic pizza crust or homemade dough
Olive oil
Kosher salt
4 oz. (125 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup/250 mL)
2 oz. (60 g) goat cheese, crumbled
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3–4 Calabrian chiles, chopped
Chives, finely chopped

Directions

Place the pizza stone on a rack set to the top ⅓ of the oven, then preheat stone in a 500°F (260°C) oven for 45 minutes. While the stone is preheating, warm the butter in a large skillet, then toss in the wild mushrooms. Let cook for a few mins to develop some golden color, then toss and let brown on the other side. Stir in the garlic, a pinch of salt, and several turns of black pepper, and cook for 1 minute more. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Once preheated, stretch out a ball of dough on a well-floured pizza peel. Drizzle the dough with a little olive oil, then use your hands to spread it about. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, then top with the low-moisture mozz and goat cheese. Top with red onion, cooked mushrooms and garlic, and a final sprinkling of salt.
Carefully slide the pizza on the preheated stone and cook for 3 minutes. Switch the oven to boil on high and broil for 3 more minutes. You can rotate the pizza as needed to ensure even browning. The crust should be golden and blackened in spots. Using the pizza peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board, then top with 3 to 4 chopped Calabrian chiles and sprinkling of finely chopped chives. Enjoy immediately.

Cook's Tips:

I like to shimmy the dough on the peel as I'm quickly adding the toppings to make sure it isn't sticking. If it is sticking, add more flour as needed. If it's easily moving on the peel, you won't have any issues getting it on the stone.

With toppings, you can really get creative with local ingredients. You can use dairy products from Straus Creamery or some of the local cheese makers near San Francisco (Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes, Laura Chenel). Use produce from the Central Valley that can be found at farmer's markets. Meat and seafood from local farms. Here are some unique pairings from Californian restaurants:

Local fennel sausage + broccolini + garlic + lemon (from Herb & Wood in San Diego, CA)
Duck prosciutto + wild nettles + calabrian chili + burrata (from Gjelina in Venice, CA)
Shaved summer squash + garlic confit + salsa verde (from Flour + Water Pizzeria in San Francisco, CA)