Pizza with black olives and red radishes

The inspiration came from two bunches of red radishes in the fridge that were calling my name and an open jar of the Italian black olive spread I didn't want to go bad...

I was excited about first radishes this year.

I just didn't know where to put them. Salad would have been a natural choice but I needed lunch.

Typically, my favorite way to eat a salad is to squeeze it in a sandwich, a wrap or a ...pizza. Then I feel I'm actually eating something more than fresh leaves or...roots.

Another reason to make this pizza was that I was convinced radishes and olives would be happy together. I was right. I want them to meet again...

Recipe be Gray Apron
time: 20 min preparation + 2 hrs inactive +12 min baking

 ingredients 

pizza dough (2 pizzas)
3 1/3 cups (800 ml) flour; I used 1 cup (150 g) regular flour
2 1/3 cup (280 g) whole spelt
1/2 oz (12 g) fresh yeast
2 1/4 cup (300 ml) tepid water
1 teaspoon (5 g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
topping (for 1 pizza, the second one is always Margherita)
5 Tablespoons black olive paste
2.5 oz (70 g) fresh mozzarella, ripped in pieces
hand full rucola
10 - 20 red radishes, thinly sliced (with a mandolin slice, f.ex.)

 instructions 

to prepare dough:
In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar and a 1/2 cup of tepid water (taken from the whole amount) with a fork or your fingers.

In a big cup, dissolve salt with the rest water. Add olive oil.

In a bowl of a standing mixer equipped with a needle attachment, sift in flours. With the mixer on "stir" incorporate the yeast mix (about 10 seconds). Pour in water/salt/oil mix. Continue kneading the dough for 10 minutes (on "stir") till smooth and elastic. 

Set the bowl with dough (covered with a cotton cloth) in a warm place, away from drafts, for 2 hours or till it doubles in size (I put mine in the oven turned off). Toward the end, preheat oven (without the dough) to 230C/450F (bottom grill only) and brush two baking sheet with extra olive oil. 

Divide dough in half. On a rolling board lightly sifted with extra flour, roll and stretch each piece to fit your baking sheet. Place on your prepared baking sheet. 

to prepare pizza: Spread olive paste on top of pizza dough, arrange mozzarella pieces. Set it in the hot oven for 10 - 12 minutes, till you see some browning of the crust.

Drop rucola and radish slices on top. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES

• I kept adding radishes till all gone;
• thick, buttery and tasty but mild black olive paste created a very attractive combination with spicy and sharp radishes;
• pizza yet again came to rescue and turned something into something better...