Mushroom, Bechamel, & Cheese Pizzette
Submitted by joeplugg
Mini mushroom pizzettes topped with silky bechamel sauce, sauteed mushrooms, nutty Gruyere, and a snowfall of Parmigiano-Reggiano. A French-Italian hybrid appetizer baked to golden perfection.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minPizzette are the little cousins of pizza, palm-sized rounds meant to be eaten warm in a few bites. This version swaps the usual tomato sauce for bechamel, which turns them into something closer to a French-Italian hybrid: creamy, nutty, and deeply savory.
The mushrooms need attention before they touch the dough. Saute them until every bit of liquid has evaporated and they’ve started to brown. Skipping this step puts raw moisture directly on the pizzette and the crust goes soggy in the oven.
A blanket of grated Gruyere and a shower of Parmigiano deliver the cheese pull and salty backbone. Dots of butter on top melt into the cheese as it bakes, adding that irresistible brown-butter finish.
Max heat is the move. A blazing 500°F (260°C) oven crisps the bottom before the cheese overcooks.
Chef Tips
- Preheat the oven (and a baking stone if you have one) for at least 30 minutes. A truly hot oven is the difference between pizzeria-style and mediocre.
- Slice mushrooms thin and saute in a wide, dry pan. Crowded mushrooms steam instead of brown.
- Spread the bechamel thin. Too much and it turns into mushroom soup on bread; just enough binds everything without overwhelming.
- Serve immediately. These lose their crispness within 10 minutes.
Variations
- Add caramelized onions or thin-sliced leeks for extra sweetness.
- Mix wild mushrooms like shiitake or chanterelles with the buttons for deeper flavor.
- Finish with a drizzle of truffle oil or shaved black truffle for a luxurious twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil.
Clean mushrooms and slice thin, then sauté them in 2 tablespoons of butter until all their excess liquid has evaporated.
Divide 1 recipe pizza dough into 6 or 10 or 12 equal pieces and roll or press out each ball to the desired size. Arrange the pizzettes on one or more prepared baking sheets. Spread each pizzette with some Bechamel Sauce. Distribute the mushrooms over the sauce and top with the cheeses. Dot each pizzette with butter and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.
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