Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

[teresa44]

Hi All! Tonight I'm making a dessert pizza for 4. Will be two 180 gram dough balls. The plan, shape to about 8 inches, brush lightly with Olive oil, top with dollops of mascarpone, sprinkle with slivers of preserved lemon, pine nuts and brown sugar. After baking, top with a little creme fraiche and mascerated slices of strawberry and kiwi. Sounds yum, yes?

I'm confused as to why its mentioned to cook at a lower heat, like 600 degrees. We'll be doing regular pizzas before at 750-800 degrees, Neopolitan style. Is there a reason this dessert should cook longer at a lower temp? Won't it be somewhat doughy inside?
And if its recommended to cook a the lower temp, then for how long? Is it so the sugar will begin to caramelize? 5 minutes, maybe??
Thank-you MUCH if someone can answer this for me!
Teresa

[kebwi]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

I have absolutely no idea but if I were to speculate wildly, it would be a concern about the sugar burning...maybe?

[texassourdough]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

I agree with kebwi. I use mascarpone all the time and it is not an issue. They might also be concerned about burning the lemon but....I would do it hot and watch it close. OR you could partially cook the first one and then throw the lemon and sugar on about half way through.

Shouldn't be a big problem.

Good Luck and please report back!
Jay

[lwood]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

Considering the sugar is at the "hard crack" stage at 300F, I would say it is the sugar they are concerned about. If sugar caramelizes at below 300F then at 750F it will probably auto ignite...just kidding. But I would think, burn very fast.

[teresa44]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

Hi Jay....don't know what your agreeing to, as Kebwi was 'wildly speculating', but since I got no response beforehand, we did the pizzas at a hot temp (750) and watched closely (like you mentioned) and they were charred and looking beautiful after 2 minutes. melty, but oozy delicious. Removed, and topped with the kiwi/strawberries and creme fraiche dollops. And a few shreds of basil. (it made it more awesome!) all raved.

[lwood]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

Did you precook the dough?

[texassourdough]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

Hi Teresa!

Sorry to be confusing - I meant that I agreed that it was concern for the sugar that led to the low temp recommendation. The sugar is potentially tricky. You want it to melt a bit and get crusty (like on toast with cinnamon sugar). But not go too far. Fortunately the liquid in the mascarpone helps in this process. And; while the oven temps are really high the sugar temperature should be damped by the wet dough/mascarpone, etc. While it could burn/char it doesn't stand free up in the air like basil (which would char quickly and needs to be either covered with cheese or put on last.

Nice recipe! Sounds like it is worth trying! Thanks for sharing.

[kebwi]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

Hi Jay....don't know what your agreeing to, as Kebwi was 'wildly speculating', but since I got no response beforehand, we did the pizzas at a hot temp (750) and watched closely (like you mentioned) and they were charred and looking beautiful after 2 minutes. melty, but oozy delicious. Removed, and topped with the kiwi/strawberries and creme fraiche dollops. And a few shreds of basil. (it made it more awesome!) all raved.

My god that sounds good. I'll have to write that down.

[teresa44]

Re: Help Please; Quick Mascarpone DESSERT pizza question!?

Hi Guys, and thank-you for your replys! Tonight, we're doing a 2nd run, and I won't have a bunch of wine in me, so I can pay close attention to the method. (and no, Iwood, no dough was 'precooked'). I am going to get a better idea of amount of Mascarpone, diameter of base, and confirm that I did sprinkle the light brown sugar on before the cheese. I believe that is why sugar-burn wasn't an issue, like Jay mentioned. The moistness inhibits that. And its just not in there long enough. But the fire being hot, I think is key to any good pizza. That's why I posted the question about the low oven. So going to go at again, and at a 750 oven. Also, if you are going to make this, I par-cooked the pine nuts in a dry pan. And the fruit (you can use anything you like) was sliced strawberries and kiwi that I drizzled generously with Cointreau, and let marinate for a few hours. Passed around with slotted spoon for a serve-yourself, along with little bowls of Creme Fraiche and shredded basil. Really was amazing. Quite pretty too. No one spoke. Just UMMMMMM's.
I will report back. try to post a photo. (can someone give simple instructions, as I don't see an attachment option here?)

[teresa44]

Mascarpone DESSERT pizza Recipe

Here is the final recipe, and we fired them in a 800 degree oven, for 1 min. 45 seconds.
I took a photo and they look gorgeous. But I don't know how to post.
When I figure it out, I will.

Mascarpone Fruit Dessert Pizza (Wood-Fired)
2 servings

140 gram dough ball

shape to 7.5 inches

brush edges lightly with lemon-zested evoo

sprinkle w/ 1 Tbls. Light brown sugar
dollop with 7 teaspoons, +/-, evenly, w/ Mascarpone cheese
sprinkle w/ some skinny shreds of preserved lemon and par-toasted
pine nuts or almond slivers.

FIRE:
IMPORTANT. Cook at an Oven Floor, between 750 and 825 degrees.
Off to side of major flame.
WATCH.
Rotate 180 degrees once, and look for the nice char and bubbling.
Done in 2 minutes or less, depending on heat of fire.

TOPPING:

Sliced fresh strawberries and kiwi; (marinated in Cointreau for a couple hrs.)
Top w/ little dollops of Cr?me Fraiche.
Shreds of fresh basil. YES!