Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
For pizza dough
Preparation
Make pizza dough:
Step 1
In a large bowl stir together water and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough, adding additional tablespoon water if too dry. On a lightly floured surface knead dough about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, dough may be made in a standing electric mixer, In a bowl of mixer make dough as described above. With dough hook knead dough about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.)
Step 2
Put dough in a very lightly oiled deep bowl, turning to coat, and let rise, covered loosely, in a warm place 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk. punch down dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Dough keeps, each piece put in a small, sealable plastic bag and sealed, pressing out excess air, chilled overnight or frozen 2 weeks.If dough is frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator before using. Makes enough dough for four 12- by 6-inch oval pizzas.
Make the pizza:
Step 3
Preheat oven to 450°F. and very lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Step 4
Cut smaller eggplant piece into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Spread eggplant slices in one layer on half of baking sheet and season with salt. Put remaining eggplant piece and all but 2 tomato halves on second half of baking sheet. Roast vegetables in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until eggplant slices are tender, and transfer eggplant slices to a plate. Roast remaining vegetables 15 minutes more, or until eggplant piece is very tender. Remove baking sheet from oven and cool vegetables slightly.
Step 5
Scoop out flesh from eggplant piece into a food processor and purée with roasted tomatoes, unroasted tomato, vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste. Sauce and sliced eggplant may be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled.
Step 6
On a work surface sprinkled with 1 teaspoon cornmeal roll out 1 piece of dough into a 12- by 6-inch oval and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cornmeal and dough, ending up with 2 ovals on each of 2 baking sheets.
Step 7
Increase temperature to 500°F.
Step 8
Spread sauce on dough ovals, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge of each pizza. Arrange eggplant slices on sauce and sprinkle pizzas with basil and mozzarella.
Step 9
Bake pizzas in lower and middle thirds of oven 15 minutes, or until crusts are crisp and pale golden.
