Funghi | White Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat your wood-fired oven (or conventional oven on highest setting with pizza stone) to as hot as possible, ideally 700–900°F (370–480°C) for wood-fired or 500–550°F (260–290°C) for conventional with a preheated pizza stone for at least 45 minutes. Lightly dust a peel or work surface with semolina or flour.

Stretch dough: On the dusted surface, gently press and stretch the pizza dough into a 10–12 inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Avoid pressing out the edge so it can blister in the oven.

Make the roux

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until foaming but not browned. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1–1.5 minutes to cook the raw flour taste; mixture should be pale and aromatic.

Finish sauce

Slowly whisk in the milk in a steady stream to avoid lumps. Add the minced garlic. Continue whisking and bring to a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4–6 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside; sauce should be spreadable but not too thin.

Sauté mushrooms

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced Ozark forest mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and let them sear without stirring for 1–2 minutes to develop color. Stir and continue cooking until liquid has mostly evaporated and mushrooms are golden, about 4–6 minutes total. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Remove mushrooms to a bowl.

Cook vegan sausage

In the same skillet add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil and add the crumbled or sliced vegan sausage. Cook until browned and heated through, about 3–4 minutes. If using a moister sausage, cook until excess moisture evaporates. Combine sausage with the cooked mushrooms and stir in thyme leaves if using; keep warm.

Cheeses: Tear fresh mozzarella into small pieces and thinly slice smoked mozzarella. Arrange cheeses so they are ready to top the assembled pizza quickly.

Assemble pizza

Lightly brush the stretched dough with a thin layer of the béchamel (about 3–4 tbs), leaving the rim bare. Distribute the sautéed mushroom and vegan sausage mixture evenly over the sauce. Scatter pieces of fresh mozzarella and then the smoked mozzarella across the top, leaving some gaps so cheese and toppings heat evenly. Drizzle a little olive oil (about 1 tsp) over the toppings.

Bake

Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or into the wood-fired oven. Bake until the crust is puffed, blistered and golden and the cheese is melted and slightly browned — 3–7 minutes in a very hot wood-fired oven, or 6–10 minutes at 500–550°F in a conventional oven (rotate halfway for even browning). Watch closely to avoid burning.

Finish and serve

Remove pizza from oven and let rest on a cutting board for 1–2 minutes. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Slice and serve hot.