Mu Shu Pork Pizza

By stancec44

I left out the black Chinese mushrooms and tiger lily buds when I made this when you kids were young.

From James McNair's Pizza cookbook

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 c. warm (110-115 degree) water
• 1 envelope (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
• 3 1/4 c. bread, semolina or unbleached flour, or combination
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. olive oil, preferable extra-virgin
• Topping:
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 lb. boned pork shoulder, thinly sliced and then cut into slivers 2" long by 1" wide
• (if you freeze the pork slightly, it is easier to cut. Can use thick pork chops (boneless))
• 1/4 c. peanut oil for stir frying
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 c. dried tiger lily buds (about 45) soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then hard tips
• broken off and discarded and buds sliced in half crosswise
• 8 dried cloud ears or black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then
• drained and chopped (discard hard stems and any other hard parts)
• 1/2 About 1/2 c. sesame or peanut oil
• Salt
• Cornmeal, if using a pizza peel
• 1 About 1 c. hoisin sauce
• 6 green onions, cut into 1" long pieces & then slivered

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the dough.
In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir gently until it dissolves, about 1 minute, until a smooth beige colored mix results. Let stand in a warm spot until a thin layer of foam covers the surface, about 5 minutes. Discard if bubbles have not formed in 5 minutes and start over.

Combine 3 cups of the flour with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture and the oil. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously stir the flour into the well, beginning in the center and working toward the sides of the bowl until all the flour is incorporated and the soft dough just begins to hold together.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough gently. While kneading, add just enough of the remaining 1/4 c. flour until the dough is no longer sticky or tacky; this should take about 5 minutes. As you work, use a dough scraper to pry up any bits of dough that stick to the work surface. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic and shiny, about 10-15 minutes more. Knead only until it feels smooth and springy; too much kneading results in a tough crust.

Shape into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl, turning to coast completely on all sides with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let set to rise in a warm draft-free environment (75-85 degrees - too hot and it may kill the yeast) until doubled, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

As soon as dough has doubled, use your fist to punch it down, shape it into a ball, pressing out all the air bubbles. If you are using bread or semolina flour, turn the ball in oiled bowl again, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until puffy, from 35 minutes to 1 hour. Omit this step if using all purpose flour.

If you cannot bake the pizza within 2 hours after rising, punch the dough down again, turn it in oiled bowl, cover w/plastic wrap and keep in fridge. Can only punch down 4 times (and up to 36 hours). Let chilled dough come to room temp before using.

Shape dough by either stretching by hand or using a rolling pin. Pick your thickness. Fill and bake as quickly as possible after shaping.

For crispiest crust, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 500.

Topping:
In a bowl combine the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, cornstarch and sugar and mix well. Add the slivered pork and toss well. Let stand about 5 minutes.

Heat a work or deep sided skillet over high heat until hot. Add about 2 Tbsp. peanut oil, reduce heat to medium and add the eggs. Cook, stirring constantly, just until eggs are set. Scrape into a bowl and reserve.

Return the wok to the heat and add 2 more Tbsp. oil. Add the marinated pork mixture and stir fry just until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. (If using, add lily buds and mushrooms if using and stir fry until just heated through, about 1 minute.) Remove from heat and stir in the cooked eggs. Season to taste w/sesame oil, if using, and salt to taste. Reserve.

Shape the pizza dough, and brush all over with sesame or peanut oil, then spoon on a layer of the hoisin sauce, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges. Top the sauce with pork and egg mix and drizzle evenly with sesame or peanut oil.

Transfer to preheated baking surface and bake about 10 minutes, checking to be sure bottom is not over-browning. Remove from oven to cutting board and lightly brush the crust with sesame or peanut oil. Sprinkle w/green onions, slice and serve immediately.