Borscht Pizza with Beet Puree, Horseradish Cream, and Fresh Dill
Makes: 1 (12- to 14-inch) pizza
Cost: $10
Equipment
- large rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Food processor or blender
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza peel (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 medium red beets, leaves removed (1 pound)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting the beets
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, divided
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest, divided
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole-fat sour cream or Greek-style yogurt
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- Kosher salt or flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. If you're using a baking stone/steel, place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating.
- Scrub the beets, pat them dry, and place each one on a piece of aluminum foil. Rub the beets a tablespoon or two of olive oil, then wrap the foil around each beet and transfer them to a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the beets are easily pierced with a sharp paring knife. Remove the beets from the oven, unwrap them, and set them aside to cool.
- Increase the oven temperature to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel). If you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high as soon as it reaches the higher temperature.
- When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub off their skins using a clean paper towel. Trim off the ends, cut the beets into chunks, and transfer them to a food processor or blender. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the chopped dill, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest; puree until smooth. Add more olive oil as needed to create a puree with the consistency of thick tomato sauce (I needed another 2 tablespoons). Stir in the vinegar and season with ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, horseradish, 1 teaspoon of dill, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Season with ¼ teaspoon fine seal salt and a grind or two of black pepper.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spoon the beet puree onto the dough and spread it evenly, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Sprinkle some flaked sea salt over top.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and spotted on the bottom—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel. Remove the pizza from the oven.
- Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes. Measure ½ cup of the horseradish cream mixture into a resealable plastic bag, and snip off the very tip of one of the corners. Pipe the yogurt mixture onto the pizza in a spiral pattern (see photos above), then sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of chopped dill. Cut the pizza into slices and serve with the extra horseradish-yogurt sauce for dipping.