Without a doubt one of the best things about Christmas is all the feasting. I love being able to sit down with my family and enjoy loads of delicious food. However, this also means we’re often left with lots of leftovers and there’s only so many ham sandwiches you can consume after December 25! So, over the years I’ve tried to get creative with how we use up everything we have in the fridge post-Christmas lunch.
One of my favourite ways to use up common Christmas ingredients like ham and turkey is to pop it all on a pizza. I often take a gourmet approach, adding everything from garlic oil to a beautiful ricotta mixture to take it to the next level. One of my favourite new additions to my kitchen is the Breville The Smart Oven™ Pizzaiolo which achieves an authentic woodfire pizza result at home. It’s quick and easy to use and definitely achieves a great finish. It’s also one of the best ways I’ve found to put all the delicious Christmas leftovers to good use. This year, why not try my Flavours of Christmas pizza recipe? I guarantee it’s almost as good as sitting down for Christmas lunch all over again…
The Flavours of Christmas Pizza
Prep time: 30 min
Total Time: 35 min (plus 8 hrs rest time)
Serves 2-4
For the dough
3 ¾ cups (560g) bread flour
1 tsp instant dried yeast
2 tsp salt
1 ½ cups (360ml) cold water
semolina, for dusting
For the garlic oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
For the ricotta mixture
½ cup (125g) ricotta cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
For the pizza
¼ tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp mixed spice
¼ cup baby rocket
2 tbsp cranberry sauce
85g cooked turkey meat, sliced
1. To make the dough, place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook attachment, mix to combine. Add the water and knead on low speed for 5-6 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to proof in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
2. Once doubled in size, scatter some semolina onto a clean benchtop. Turn the dough out and divide into 4 even portions. Shape each portion into a smooth ball.
3. Lightly sprinkle 2 baking trays with semolina and place 3 dough balls on the trays, leaving 10cm between the balls. Cover each tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate to use another time (up to 5 days).
Tip: Alternatively, you can individually wrap each one in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the freezer. Remove dough as required, allowing the dough to come to room temperature before use.
4. Place the remaining dough ball back into the medium bowl and cover. Allow to proof in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Meanwhile, make the garlic oil by tossing the garlic and the salt in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 3 minutes, or until lightly coloured. Pour through a strainer and allow to cool to room temperature. Divide the oil into 3 bowls:
- 1½ tsp in a medium bowl for the ricotta mixture
- ½ tsp in a small bowl for the rocket dressing
- Use remaining for brushing
6. Add all the ricotta filling ingredients to the medium bowl with the garlic oil and stir to combine.
7. Add the balsamic and mixed spice to the small bowl with the garlic mixture and stir to combine.
8. Preheat The Smart Oven™ Pizzaiolo by selecting the Wood Fired setting. This can take up to 20 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, use a bench scraper to lift the dough and dip both sides in the semolina to coat. Place onto a clean bench and gently press out the dough with your fingertips, working from the centre outwards into an approximate 22cm round, leaving a 1cm border. Lightly sprinkle the peel (the tool used to put the pizza in the oven) with the semolina. Carefully transfer the dough onto the peel, gently brushing off any excess semolina.
10. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1cm border. Brush the edge of the dough with half the garlic oil.
11. Once the The Smart Oven™ Pizzaiolo has preheated, transfer the pizza to the oven and cook for 2 minutes or until the crust is starting to develop brown spots. Turn the pizza and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove the pizza from the oven, place the turkey on the pizza and return to the oven for the final 30 seconds.
12. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Evenly dollop the cranberry sauce over the pizza. Toss the rocket in the dressing, then scatter evenly over the pizza. Brush the edge of the pizza with the remaining garlic oil.
13. Slice and serve hot.
Photography: Ashleigh Larden
This post was produced in collaboration with Breville
