Truffled Pizza

Ever since the slow rise pizza dough lesson at Eat Alberta, pizza seems to be in weekly rotation. It's just such a fantastic canvas for nearly any ingredient or those fantastic clean-out-the-fridge end of week meals.

If you like earthy, rich flavours (and mushrooms, obviously) then you will enjoy this pizza. If you're not a big fan, then I wouldn't bother. I find that truffles and those intense mushroom-y flavours are not for the faint of heart.

Ingredients:
1 slow rise pizza dough

Bechamel sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
1 teaspoon truffle oil or truffle cream
1/2 teaspoon herbes de provence

1 portabello mushroom
Chopped sundried tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese!

Form your pizza base, then set aside to rest.

All we're going to do here is melt the butter, then add the flour (sprinkling slowly and stirring constantly to avoid lumps). Cook the butter and flour together until it starts to smell nutty but don't let it brown.

Whisk in the milk and let everything warm to a simmer. You'll want to keep a close eye on this and keep whisking so that you don't end up with lumps. If you do, you can always strain the mixture and continue on with the process (but, frankly, who wants to do that?? Instead... keep a watchful eye on it.). Once the mixture is simmering, you will see it begin to thicken. There is your bechamel. Mix in your truffle cream and herbes de provence. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to suit your tastes.

Heat your oven to 425F.

Dollop and smear your bechamel over your pizza base.

Slice the portobello mushroom and arrange on your pizza. Sprinkle with the chopped sundried tomatoes.

Then cover everything with your grated cheese.

Put your pizza into the hot oven and bake for about 20 minutes, then crank that oven up to 500F and bake for another 3-5 minutes to get that cheese bubbling or under the broiler for a minute or two.

Let cool for a scant moment, then devour.