Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 2-2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon)

• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons olive oil + additional

• ¾ cup warm water

Toppings

• 1 large leek

• 3 garlic cloves

• 9 thyme sprigs

• 1 lemon

• 2 oz. mozzarella cheese

• 2 oz. fontina cheese

• ¾ heavy cream

• Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt to taste

• Arugula (optional)
  

Equipment

• Mixing bowl or stand mixer (optional)

• Rolling pin

• Baking sheet

Instructions

1. Mix 1 cup of flour, 1 packet yeast, 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt salt, and optional ¼ teaspoon garlic powder in a large bowl.

2. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¾ cup warm water, stirring well with a wooden spoon or use a stand mixer.

3. Gradually mix in another 1 cup of flour, adding extra flour as needed until the dough forms a slightly sticky, elastic ball that pulls away from the bowl.

4. Coat the dough with oil and cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until doubled.

5. While the dough is rising, prep the toppings

   • Cut the white and light green parts of the leek into 4-inch pieces, then slice them thinly into strands.

   • Slice 4 oz. mozzarella, cube 4 oz. fontina, mince 3 garlic cloves, and strip leaves from 5 thyme sprigs (reserve 4 sprigs for later).

   • Sauté leeks with salt and pepper until softened (3–4 minutes). Add ¾ cup heavy cream and thyme sprigs, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until thickened (4–5 minutes).

   • Remove from heat, zest 1 lemon into the sauce, add garlic into the sauce and stir.

   • Remove thyme sprigs from the sauce. Separate the leeks and save them for later.

   • Refrigerate the sauce for 10 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 500°F

7. Deflate the risen dough, knead briefly on a floured surface, and shape into a 12-inch circle.

8. Place dough on a parchment-lined pan, fold or pinch the edges for a crust, and brush the surface with olive oil. Poke holes in the center with a fork.

9. Spread the sauce over pizza dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Make sure the sauce is thick before spreading on dough.

10. Layer mozzarella, fontina, and grated parmesan. Add the leeks on top and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle more parmesan on top.

11. Bake until the crust is blistered and leeks are crispy (16–20 minutes).

12. While its cooking, clean your kitchen.

13. Top with olive oil, parmesan, black pepper, arugula, and thyme leaves. Let cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

The Novel

If you’ve tried some of my other recipes, you know a few gems have come from my sister’s monthly cookbook club. This one is no exception—except it came with some of the worst instructions I’ve ever encountered. Seriously, I spent more time deciphering them than actually cooking. Somehow, though, I powered through, and to my utter disbelief, the end result was delicious.

A few weeks later, the craving hit again, and I decided it was time for round two. I roped in my boyfriend as an unofficial food critic—his qualifications include saying "mmm" with varying levels of enthusiasm—and dove back into the recipe. Unsurprisingly, it was just as confusing the second time around. But through sheer determination (and some lucky guesses), I managed to recreate the pizza, earning his coveted 5-star rating.

Feeling emboldened, I passed the recipe on to my mom, who’s famously the worst cook I know, hoping she might crack the code and simplify it. Instead, her “simplified” version became an entirely new form of culinary hieroglyphics. Case in point: “finely grate the parmigiano reggiano over top, five the a shake and make it’s moving.” Yes, that is a direct quote. And no, I have no idea what it means either.