Dinner and Downton: the Adios, Guillermo edition

mmmm. try this. we had it tonight with a liberal dose of Downton Abbey, season 2, episode 4. the crust was crispy and flavorful, the simple toppings were surprisingly well matched, and o'brien is becoming a total softy.

Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough

Ingredients

3 1/4 c [500 g] bread flour

2 1/2 t [10 g] instant or other active dry yeast

3/4 t [5 g] table salt

3/4 t plus a pinch [about 3 g] sugar

1 1/3 c [300 g] room-temperature (about 72 degrees F) water

extra-virgin olive oil for pans

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended, at least 30 seconds. The dough is a bit stiffer than most of the others in this book,* not as wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
2.  Using a bowl scraper or rubber spatula, remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface. Gently form into a rough ball. Then divide the dough into two halves, spacing them 4 inches apart, and cover both with a moistened kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
3.  When you are ready to make your pie, oil two 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets. Pick up the dough and invert and stretch the dough the length of the baking sheet. The floured side should now be facing up and the moist side should now be on the pan. Using your palms, gently pull, press, and stretch the dough to fill the entire bottom of the pan. There is no need to make a crust or a lip around the edge of the pan. Your objective should be to make an even layer of dough across the entire bottom of the pan. If the dough sticks to your fingers, lightly dust it with flour or coat your hands with oil. Pinch any holes together. Repeat with the second piece. The dough is ready to top as you like (see the following recipes).

* Jim Lahey, My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009).

Toppings 

Pizza Funghi

1 1/4 lb [550 g] cremini mushrooms, trimmed

1 1/3 c [133 g] diced yellow onion

2 t [1 g] fresh thyme leaves

1/2 recipes [400 g] basic pizza dough (above)

1 t [6 g] table salt

2 1/2 T [40 g] extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, with a rack in the center.
2. Use a mandoline to cut the mushrooms into thin slices (1/8-inch thick). In a medium bowl or on the pan, toss together the mushrooms, onion, and thyme.
3. Scatter or spread the mushroom mixture fairly evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges; put a bit more of the topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook and brown more quickly. Sprinkle with the salt and drizzle with the olive oil. 
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to turn golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve the pizza hot or at room temperature.

Pizza Cavolfiore

1 medium [700 g] cauliflower, outermost green leaves removed

just under 1/2 c [60 g] finely chopped pitted Sicilian colossal or other large green olies

about 1/2 c [60 g] freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese

2 large cloves [15 g] garlic, finely grated or very finely minced

3/4 t [4 g] table salt

1/2 t or to taste [1 g] crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c [60 g] extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 recipe [400 g] basic pizza dough (above)

1 to 2 T [10 to 15 g] homemade bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, with a rack in the center.
2. Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Using a mandoline, shave it into very thin slices (about 1/16-inch thick). In a medium bowl, toss together the cauliflower, olives, Parmesan, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.
3. Spread the cauliflower mixture over the dough, going all the way to the edges; put a bit more of the topping around the edges of the pie as the outside tends to cook and brown more quickly. Sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs. 
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve the pizza hot or at room temperature.