“We love this pizza because it has flavor characteristics every relationship should have … sweet, salt, and a little nutty,” says Gabriella Rodriguez, co-chef with her fiancé Michael Baldwin at Testa Barra in Macomb Township. “It reminds us when we were young cooks in love.” The couple met at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. The first time they traveled to visit Michael’s family, they had dinner at J. Baldwin’s then went to the kitchen and made Nutella Pizza. “The inspiration came from Giovanni Scappin, who was our chef/professor and mentor at the CIA,” she says. “We often make this pizza to remind ourselves where we started, where we are going and how beautiful the journey is.”
Nutella ’Za (Makes 2 Pizzas)
Ingredients for Topping
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 ounces Nutella hazelnut spread
1/8 cup hot water
Powdered sugar (optional)
3 ounces sliced fresh strawberries
Sea salt to taste
Pizza Dough Ingredients
1 ¾ cups warm water
1 ¼ ounce package of active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4 ½ to 5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for bowl
1 tablespoon honey
Directions
Sprinkle yeast on top of water and allow to activate. (About 10 minutes). Put salt and two cups flour in food processor and pulse to blend. Add yeast mixture, honey, and water and pulse five times. Add olive oil, then add remaining flour one cup at a time, pulsing and scraping sides of bowl until well blended. As soon as mixture is combined, place on a well-floured board and knead for 15 turns until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until doubled in size. Punch down and divide in half. Each half will make one 12-inch pizza. Prick dough with fork after forming into round. This will allow dough to rise and fluff while cooking. Toast dough in 475 F oven for about two minutes until slightly cooked. Remove from oven, slice in half. Spread mascarpone on both sides. Put back together as a sandwich, and return to oven for 5 minutes. Melt Nutella with cup hot water. Drizzle the Nutella over the pies, then dust them with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries. Sprinkle sea salt on top to lightly garnish.
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