Ham & Mushroom Pizza with Fromage Frais Dough

📝 Ingredients

• 310 g plain flour (300 g for the dough, 10 g for the work surface)
• 250 g fromage frais, 3 % fat
• 2 tsp baking powder (about 8 g)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 slices cooked ham (about 160 g)
• 200 g button mushrooms
• 2 balls of mozzarella (125 g each, drained)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl
• Saucepan
• Rolling pin
• Baking tray and baking paper
• Colander
• Pizza cutter

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 240 °C with a rack in the lowest position. Pour the chopped tomatoes into a saucepan with the oregano, a pinch of salt and some pepper, and leave to reduce for 10 min over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick sauce that barely runs.
2. Meanwhile, trim the earthy ends of the mushroom stalks, wipe the mushrooms with a damp piece of kitchen paper (don't soak them, or they'll absorb water) and slice them 3 mm thick. Cut the ham into 2 cm squares and the mozzarella into cubes, then drain the mozzarella in a sieve.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine 300 g of the flour, the baking powder and a generous pinch of salt. Add the fromage frais and the oil, stir with a spoon until large lumps form, then knead by hand for 2 min into a smooth ball that no longer sticks to your fingers (if it does, add a little flour).
4. Dust the work surface with the remaining flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle 3 to 4 mm thick, the size of the tray. Place it on the tray lined with baking paper, prick it all over with a fork and pre-bake it plain for 5 min at the bottom of the oven.
5. Take out the tray and spread the tomato sauce over the pre-baked base with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1 cm bare border. Scatter over the mushrooms, then the ham, and finish with the well-drained mozzarella cubes: added last, they protect the topping and give a golden, stretchy top.
6. Put the tray back on the bottom rack and bake for 10 to 12 min, until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown and the edges are crisp. Lift a corner with a spatula to check: the underside of the base should be golden, not pale.
7. Leave to rest for 3 min on the tray so the cheese sets, then cut into 8 slices with a pizza cutter or a large knife. Serve immediately, 2 slices per person, while the base is still nice and crisp.