Cornmeal Pizzas

I over-bought mushrooms this week (Baby Bellas were on a major sale) so I've been looking for interesting ways to use them. You may prefer to forgo the half stick of butter to cook the mushrooms and onions and go for olive oil instead. The crust takes about an hour to prepare which is about how long it will take to make the toppings.

You Will Need:

For The Crust:

1 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons regular yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt

Disolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let sit five minutes. Add the olive oil.

Sift together the flour, cornmeal and salt. Slowly add the liquid and mix well. Knead on a board about five minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled-about an hour.

For the Topping:

1 lb. mushrooms, chopped
2 large sweet onions, sliced
4 tablespoons (or more) butter
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, half reserved
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Splash of sherry
3 small ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 cup Swiss cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large frying pan melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions and mushrooms
Cover and cook until the onions and mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionaly. This should take about 30-40 minutes. Add the herbs and cook a few minutes longer, uncovered until some of the liquid evaporates. Toss on the sherry, turn the heat to high and burn off most of the remaining liquid and alcohol. Set aside and cover until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place one rack in the lowest position and another in the centre. Toss some cornmeal on baking sheets.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out into thin rounds. You should be able to fit two to a sheet.

Place the mushroom/onion mixture on the bottom of the rounds. Top with cheeses, then tomatoes and a few bits of parsley for colour. Bake 5 minutes on the low rack and another 3-5 in the middle. Keep an eye on them as they tend to burn quickly once they go. Let stand a few minutes before slicing.