According to entrepreneur Cynthia Given, “muffins are any time foods” so it’s safe to say that you can indulge with these pizza muffins almost guilt-free!
Is it brunch? Is it a picnic? Is it a snack? Whichever way you look at it, these mini pizzas will bring a smile to your face. Please enjoy responsibly (they are addictive!).
Makes 8 x 50 gr muffins (portion size: 3-4 muffins per person as a main meal)
INGREDIENTS
For the pizza dough:
250 gr strong bread flour
130 gr warm water
2 teaspoons wild garlic pesto
2 gr yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 pinch sugar
For the topping:
2 tablespoons tomato passata
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 sow thistle tops
1 slice smoked ham, roughly chopped
¼ mozzarella ball, chopped
8 olives, cut in half with stone removed
8 silicone muffin moulds
METHOD
To make the pizza muffins dough, first add some warm water and the sugar in a bowl to the yeast to activate it. You will see some bubbles forming after 5-10 minutes and then it’s ready to use. Add the yeast to the flour, mix, then add the salt and the wild garlic pesto.
Once you get a nice smooth consistency leave the dough to rise in the bowl covered with cling film for at least 6 hours.
Alternative: use self-raising flour instead of bread flour and yeast and you can skip the previous steps.
Prepare the topping by cooking the sow thistle in olive oil in a pan for 2 minutes, then add the tomato passata, the olives, ham, oregano and salt. Warm up for another 2 minutes then turn off the heat.
Pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.
Measure up 50 gr of pizza dough per muffin and roll it into a ball (about the size of a golf ball). Flatten the ball and place in a muffin mould. Pour the tomato sauce and the toppings on top and finish with a piece of mozzarella. Do this for all the muffins, then bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes (keep checking that the dough is cooked through).
These pizza muffins are a great idea for a picnic or a buffet.
I got inspiration for this recipe from Italian blogger Cucina Facile con Elena.
Picture credits: Paola Bassanese
