Spinach Alfredo Pizza Recipe

For those of you that requested (or those that just would like it), here's the recipe for my spinach Alfredo and mushroom pizza on a whole wheat crust. I've been making it for a long time, so I don't have exact measurements, but I'll give it a shot. As delicious as it looks, I don't have a picture to share on here so you'll have to use your imagination:)

For the crust:
(makes enough dough for two large or three smaller pizzas--I make one regular crust on a large baking stone and one deep dish in a large jelly roll pan.)

4 1/2 tsp (or 2 pkts) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (about 110-115 degrees)
drizzle of honey (or 2 tsp of sugar)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups (plus more for kneading) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Place warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast in water; add honey and mix slightly with a fork. Set aside to let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes.

While it's proofing, mix whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt in a large bowl. When the yeast/water mixture is done (it should have at least a 1/2" to 1" head on it), add it to the large bowl with the flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon, adding more all-purpose flour as needed until it forms a sticky ball. You can either continue adding the flour to the dough and knead inside the bowl like I do or turn it onto a floured surface and knead it that way too. Knead it for about 5 minutes. Spray the bowl with oil, place dough into it, cover, and let rise for an hour.

When it's doubled, punch it down and divide it onto greased pizza pans. Once it's spread out, you can either place the toppings on it as is or do what I do. I cover it with dishtowels and let it rise more while I prepare the toppings.

For the Alfredo sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1 pint of heavy whipping cream (raw if possible)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan
1 tsp corn starch (non GMO)
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or less. Add the cream and turn up the heat slightly. Whisk it around while it bubbles and then add the Parmesan. Whisk and cook for another minute or two. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a teaspoon or two of water to make a slurry. Slowly add the pan while whisking at the same time. It will thicken fast. If necessary, make another small batch of cornstarch slurry to thicken. (The crust of your pizza will determine how thick you need the sauce to be; deep dish pizzas can hold a slightly-more runny sauce, while original or thin crust needs a thicker sauce.) Remove from heat when it's thickened and add the garlic salt and pepper.

For the pizzas:

Once your dough is ready, top with the sauce, LOTS of chopped fresh spinach and LOTS of fresh sliced mushrooms. These ingredients (the spinach and mushrooms) cook down A LOT so don't be afraid of using too much. We use about 1/2 pound of mushrooms for one big deep dish and about 2 packed cups of spinach.) If you'd like, top with other favorites like red onions, artichoke hearts, sliced Roma tomatoes, sliced zucchini, or whatever else you like! Cover with shredded mozzarella and bake at 425 until it's golden, bubbly, and delicious!

When you make yours, be sure to come back and leave a comment of how it turned out and any alterations you made to the recipe. Thanks!