Carnival Squash and Honey Ricotta Mini Detroit

Step 1

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Stir to combine.

Step 2

Heat water in microwavable safe bowl for 30 seconds. Temperature should be between 85F and 95F. Add yeast to water and let sit for 5 minutes. We're not looking for a full activation, just a bit of a jumpstart.

Step 3

Slowly add water/yeast mixture to the stand mixer, mixing on low until it forms a smooth consistency, about 10 minutes. Note: dough will be very wet and sticky, and the bottom will stick to the bowl. You may need to scrape the bottom up with a spatula.

Step 4

Turn mixer off. Scrape the dough out onto the counter. With wet or lightly oiled hands to reduce sticking, continue kneading for 3 minutes to build the gluten. Flip the mixer bowl over top of the dough to keep it moist, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5

Grease your 6x6 pans with a stick of butter or olive oil.

Step 6

After 30 minutes, divide the dough into 4 equal 145-150g balls. Knead them back into a ball and place them into the greased pans. Cover, and let rest for an hour at room temperature.

Step 7

Gently stretch the dough to fit the edges of the pan. The dough will shrink up a bit, which is fine at this stage.

Step 8

Cover again and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days to cold ferment.

Step 9

On bake day, let dough come to room temperature on the counter for 3-6 hours. If you do a longer 6 hour ferment, gently press the dough down with your fingers halfway through. This prevents bubbles from expelling air and gives a better final crumb.

Step 10

Preheat the oven to 425f. Slice the squash width-wise into 1/2" slices. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt to taste, and roast the squash for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Step 11

In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, honey, and half of the fresh herbs. Whip the ricotta for 2 minutes, salt to taste, and place in the refrigerator.

Step 12

Preheat the oven to 550°F with a pizza steel/stone. If using an outdoor pizza oven, preheat until 700-750 degrees, about 20 minutes.

Step 13

Place the pan onto the pizza stone and bake for 5 minutes (3 minutes for pizza oven). If you do not own a pizza stone, place the pan on the bottom of your oven (not a rack) and bake for 5 minutes.

Step 14

Carefully remove the hot pan from oven. Remove the dough from the pan and place onto a wire rack, allowing it to briefly cool, about 5 minutes.

Step 15

Put the dough back into the pan and add the shredded mozzarella, ensuring most of it touches the edge of the pan. Then add the Monterey Jack cheese.

Step 16

For home ovens: place pizza in oven for another 7 minutes on the stone. (toss the broiler on for the final minute or two if the cheese is not browning fast enough). For outdoor pizza ovens: bake for 4-5 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, and covering with tinfoil if browning too quickly.

Step 17

Remove from oven and use a thin metal spatula along the edges to separate the pizza from the pan. Slide onto a wire rack to rest for 3 minutes. Top with the honey ricotta, followed by slices of roasted squash. Add chopped pecans and any additional fresh herbs. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and additional honey.Slice, and enjoy.