Strawberry and Goat Cheese Pizza

Photo: California Strawberry Commission

From: Valentino Luche, Waterfront Restaurant, San Francisco. Yield: 1 pizza.

½ oz. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar
½ cup softened goat cheese
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
to taste, coarsely ground black pepper
as needed for garnish, baby arugula and frisée

For pizza dough: In a mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1 cup warm water. Let stand until foamy. Add 3 cups of flour, salt and olive oil. Mix with dough hook until stretchy and no longer sticky, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.

For white balsamic vinaigrette: In a small nonreactive saucepan, simmer white balsamic vinegar until reduced to 1½ Tbsp. Whisk in extra virgin olive oil.

For aged balsamic reduction: In a small reactive saucepan, simmer aged balsamic vinegar until reduced to about 4 tsp.

Heat oven to 400°F. On lightly floured surface, roll each piece of pizza dough into an 8” circle. Place on a baking sheet; bake in 400°F oven for 10 minutes or until firm and slightly brown. Spread pizzas with softened goat cheese, leaving ½” border. Toss strawberries with white balsamic vinaigrette; arrange strawberries on goat cheese and bake 10 minutes more. Remove pizza from oven; scatter crumbled goat cheese on top. Drizzle with aged balsamic reduction; sprinkle with black pepper. Garnish pizzas with a few leaves of arugula and frisée.