Eggplant & burrata pizza

If you ever need to enter a pizza cook-off, look no further for a winning recipe! This pizza features fresh eggplants on top of a delicious whole wheat crust. Pair it with some decadent burrata cheese and a glass of red wine, and you'll have a truly enjoyable dinner for two.

Ingredients for the dough (makes one 14" pizza)

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp yeast

• 1/2 cup warm water (no warmer than body temperature, or the yeast will die)

• 3/4 cup bread flour

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

• Olive oil

Toppings

• 2 small eggplants

• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 large tomato

• 6 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese

• 6 oz ball burrata cheese

• 3 tbsp marinara sauce

Kitchen Tools

• Parchment paper

• Baking sheet

• Stand mixer

• Wire rack

Instructions

1. Proof the yeast by mixing the yeast, sugar and warm water together. Wait until bubbles form to ensure that your yeast is alive and kicking. If the water was too hot the yeast won't bubble, and you'll have the chance to start again before mixing the dough.

2. Combine the bread and whole wheat flour with the salt in your mixing bowl. Start the mixer on low and slowly pour in the water proofed yeast liquid. Mix on medium-low for about 10 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball.

3. Brush the dough with olive oil and refrigerate overnight to develop a more complex flavor. Alternatively, you could proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

4. The next day, take your dough out of the fridge and allow it to warm to room temperature. While it is warming set the oven to 500 deg F, and place an empty sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven.

5. While the dough is warming, prepare the roasted eggplant. First, slice the eggplant into 1/2" thick slices. Add 1 tbsp salt to a bowl of water, and soak the eggplant for 30 minutes to remove the bitterness from them. Once they have finished soaking, arrange on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Roast on the top rack of the oven while it is preheating. Roast for 5 minutes, flip and bake for another 5 minutes.

6. The easiest way to prepare the dough for the oven is to form the crust on a piece of parchment paper. Tear off a piece that is at least as big as the sheet pan in the oven, no need to be overly precise. Flatten the dough ball into a flat disk and just gently pull it out further and further until it has reached your desired thickness and size. We aim to get the crust pretty thin to where you can see light coming through the dough, <1/8" thickness. Form a ridge along the edge to prevent your sauce and toppings from spilling out while the pizza cooks.

7. Slice the tomato into 1/4" slices, making sure to discard the tough middle core.

8. Add the 3 tbsp of marina sauce to the dough, by spreading in a spiral pattern to make sure there are no deep pockets and it is uniformly distributed.

9. Put the rest of the toppings on (except for the burrata): mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce, then the roasted eggplant, and finally the fresh tomatoes.

10. Pull the parchment paper with the pizza onto a cutting board to transfer to the pre-heated baking sheet in the oven. Take your time and carefully pull the paper from the cutting board to the baking sheet.

11. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you prefer the crust. Pull the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the finished pizza to a wire rack. Let the pizza rest for at least 5 minutes on the wire rack, this prevents a soggy bottom.

12. Put it back on the cutting board, top with fresh burrata, slice and enjoy!