Black Truffle And Fontina Cheese Pizza Recipe

Mix and knead

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and sea salt. In a separate measuring cup combine warm water, honey and olive oil. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic (or use a stand mixer with dough hook 4–5 minutes).

First rise

Form dough into a ball, coat lightly with 1 tsp olive oil, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.

Shape

Punch the dough down to release air, transfer to a lightly floured surface, and divide into 1 pizza portion (for a roughly 12–14-inch pizza). Let rest under a towel for 10 minutes before stretching.

While the oven is heating, make the light cream base: whisk together heavy cream, minced garlic, Parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Keep chilled until ready to use. This is optional but recommended to give a silky, savory backdrop to the truffle and fontina.

Preheat oven

Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat oven to 500–550°F (260–290°C) for at least 45 minutes so it gets very hot. If using a home oven that doesn't reach 500°F, set it to the highest temperature available and allow extra heat time.

Stretch the dough

On a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet dusted with cornmeal or semolina, stretch the rested dough into a 12–14-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim for the crust. Avoid using a rolling pin if you want a lighter, airier crust.

Apply base

If using the light cream base, lightly brush or spoon 1–2 tablespoons of it over the stretched dough, leaving a 1-inch border. If not using cream, lightly brush the dough with 1 tsp olive oil.

Add cheeses

Evenly distribute the shredded fontina over the surface, followed by the torn fresh mozzarella pieces so the cheese layer is balanced and will melt together smoothly.

Season and top

Scatter fresh thyme leaves evenly over the cheese. Season lightly with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (about 1 tsp total). If you are using fresh black truffle, shave most of it thinly over the top now (reserve a few shavings for finishing).

Bake

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or inverted baking sheet and bake at 500–550°F (260–290°C) for 7–10 minutes, rotating halfway through for even browning. Bake until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and slightly bronzed in spots.

Finish

Remove pizza from oven. Immediately brush the crust edge with melted butter if using. Drizzle the black truffle oil sparingly (about 1 tsp) over the hot pizza. Finish with remaining fresh truffle shavings on top for maximum aroma. Taste and adjust with a final light sprinkle of salt or a few grinds of black pepper as desired.

Rest and serve

Let the pizza rest 2–3 minutes to set the cheese for cleaner slices. Slice into 6–8 pieces and serve hot so the truffle aroma is at its peak.