Palouse Pizza

Ingredients

1 1-pound loaf frozen bread dough
1⁄3 cup dry USA lentils, rinsed
11⁄3 cups water
All-purpose flour, as needed
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups water
4 cups broccoli florets
11⁄2 cups sliced mushrooms
11⁄2 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
11⁄2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Method

Thaw frozen dough according to package instructions.

In a 1-quart pan, combine lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Shape dough into a ball and pat it flat on a lightly floured board. Roll dough into a 16-inch circle, turning and flouring dough as needed to prevent sticking. When dough is elastic and springs back, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Gently slide dough onto well-oiled 14-inch pizza pan. Fold edges of dough under so they are flush with pan rim. With a fork, poke holes all over the dough.

Bake the crust until it is lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove crust from oven and increase oven temperature to 400°F.

Cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat in a 2-3 quart pan, stirring until onion is limp (5 minutes). Add tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, pepper and cayenne. Boil over medium heat, stirring often, until sauce is reduced to 11⁄3 cups, about 8 minutes.

In a 3-4 quart pan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add  broccoli florets and simmer, uncovered, until broccoli is tender when pierced, about 3 minutes. Drain broccoli and immerse in cold water to cool. Drain, and set aside.

Spread tomato sauce over cooked crust. On top of sauce, evenly distribute lentils, broccoli and mushrooms. Top with Mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Cut pizza into wedges and serve immediately.

Note: If you do not have a round pizza pan, roll dough into a 12 x 17-inch rectangle and fit it into a 10 x 15-inch baking pan.

Nutrition: