Caution:Hot Dish: Brie and Portobello Pizza

Always a favorite of mine, is pizza! The general store in Rosemont, used to sell locally made, gourmet pizzas, that you could take home and cook, but alas, no more! So now and again, I've been trying to re-create the brie and portobello pizza I loved so much!

Part 1: The Dough

Feel free to skip this step and buy dough at the store! Definitely a time saver, but from scratch is always fun if you have the time!
This dough mixes up great in a breadmaker! But, I don't have one here at my sister's house, so the old fashioned way it is!

What you need:

1 cup flat beer (yes, beer, the secret ingredient!)
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil (I used 1 of each)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

What to do:

1. First, I mixed the beer on low for a few minutes, to release the carbonation from the beer.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Mix with dough hook, or by hand, for a couple minutes.

3. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes. Put dough into a oiled bowl, and cover with a wet towel, and place in a warm spot (for example, and over that has been warmed and turned off) to rise for a couple hours.

4. After a couple hours, punch down dough, and its ready to form your crust.

Part 2 : The White Sauce

What you need:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano, or 2 tablespoons fresh herbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese

What to do:

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed.

2. Add milk, and stir on medium heat. Add the salt, garlic, and herbs.

3. Stir a couple minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese.

Part 3 : Pour some wine (optional)

Something new from the LCBO to enjoy while I finish making the pizza...

Step 4 : Roast mushrooms

I decided to roast the mushrooms in the oven first, with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Step 5 : Assemble the pizza!

Shape your dough, and spread with a generous amount of white sauce. Add spinach and slices of brie cheese.