Pizza with Za’atar, Preserved Lemons and Ricotta

Step 1

If you have a Baking Steel or pizza stone, place it in the oven and preheat your oven to 550ºF. Alternatively, just preheat your oven to high and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Allow Steel or stone to heat for 45 minutes.

Step 2

About 20 minutes before baking, remove pizza dough from fridge and let rest on floured surface.

Step 3

When ready to bake, place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel. Alternatively, sprinkle peel with cornmeal or flour. (Note: I know using parchment paper is kind of wimpy, but it prevents any kind of sticking to the peel and it allows you to not have to use any flour or cornmeal, which burn on pizza stones and steels after the pizza is removed from the oven.) With lightly oiled hands, stretch dough out into a circle — do this in the air or on the peel itself (however you feel comfortable). Place on peel (or sheet pan if you are not using a steel or stone) and drizzle with more olive oil. Use your fingers to create small dimples in the surface of the dough. Sprinkle pizza liberally with za’atar.

Step 4

Scatter preserved lemon evenly overtop. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta evenly over the surface. Drizzle a teensy bit more olive oil over top.

Step 5

If you are using a peel, shimmy the whole piece of dough-topped parchment paper onto preheated steel or stone. Alternatively, place pan in oven. (Note: After about a minute or two, you can pull the piece of parchment paper from underneath the pizza (if you wish) or you can just let it char.) Cook for about 5 minutes if using peel or stone — it might take more or less time depending on your oven and on the size of the flatbread you make, but start checking after 5 minutes. On a sheetpan, the flatbread will probably take more like 7 to 10 minutes.

Step 6

Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with basil. Cut. Serve immediately.