Salad pizza with a tangy doenjang dressing and fluffy focaccia-style crust.

Doenjang Salad Pizza

Serves 4 - 5

The salad pizza of my youth was, pizza dough drizzled with olive oil, baked and cooled slightly. It was then topped with an Italian or Meditteranean style salad of lettuce, cucumbers, olives, pepperonci, tomatoes, feta, dressing and sometimes chicken. You’ve got salad, protein and starch all wonderfully wrapped up together. I loved salad pizza!

I took this idea and started by making the dough heartier by using a focaccia-style base. Topped with a little cheese, to prevent the dough from getting soggy and smoky roasted eggplant for depth. The salad dressing is also a little heartier being made from doenjang which makes for an umami-rich and slightly salty dressing. It’s not the salad pizza of my childhood, it’s better!

I know that looking at the recipe there are a lot of steps, but they are mostly hands-off and very simple.

Ingredients

Focaccia

7g (1.75 t) instant yeast

350ml (1.75 c) water

260g (2 c) bread flour

95g (0.50 c) semolina

65g (0.50 c) whole wheat flour

7g (1.75 t) kosher salt

36g (3 T) olive oil 

Eggplant

340g (0.75 lbs) Japanese eggplant, sliced 0.50in thick on a bias

2 t kosher salt

1 T gochujang 

Doenjang Dressing

3 T doenjang

2.5 T rice vinegar

4 t sesame oil

4 t yondu or soy sauce

2 t maesil or honey

2 t mirin

0.50 t sancho pepper or ground Sichuan pepper – optional

0.50 t ground white or black pepper

Pinch of kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, grated 

Focaccia toppings

36ml (3 T) olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced

0.25 t garlic powder

0.25 t kosher salt

70g (0.50 c) mozzarella, shredded

100g (1/2 medium) onion, thinly sliced with the grain 

Salad

100g romaine

100g red leaf lettuce

75g (about 1.25 c) crown daisy leaves, stripped from the thick stem

75g (about 0.50 c) carrot, julienne

Any remaining onion from toping the focaccia

Finishing

2 t toasted sesame seeds

Recipe Know-how

Focaccia

1.      In a small bowl combine the yeast with 100ml (0.50 c) of the water.

• Allow to sit 5 minutes or until bubbly.

After a few minutes, the mixture should begin to bubble showing that the yeast is active. If it does not show any activity, throw it out and redo this step.

Continue on with Step 2 while the yeast sits.

2.      In a large bowl combine the flours and salt.

• Add the yeast mixture and all of the remaining water.

• Stir together until all of the flour has been hydrated.

The dough will be quite soft, but, do not be tempted to add more flour.

• Pour the dough onto a clean, unfloured work surface.

• Using wet hands and the slap and fold method, bring the dough together 3 – 4 minutes or until smooth.

Slap and Fold: This is a method of kneading dough generally used for wetter/stickier doughs. It is done using quick movements to add strength to and bring a dough together. To perform a slap and fold, place your hands at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock position. Lift the dough then “slap” it back onto the surface and “fold” it over on itself. Place your hands at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock and lift the dough, turning 90 degrees when “slapping” and “folding” the dough back onto the board. Repeat the process until the dough is smooth.

• Place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

• Add the oil to the bowl with the dough. Squeezing repeatedly with your hands to combine, mix until homogeneous.

The dough may look like it is separating but trust the process and continue mixing until smooth.

• Once smooth using a very wet hand, perform 1 set of stretch and folds.

Stretch and fold: Similar to the slap and fold, the stretch and fold is a method of adding strength to a dough. Unlike the slap and fold, the process is all performed in the bowl with the dough rather than on the work surface. To perform a stretch and fold, grab a corner of the dough and stretch it as far as possible without breaking, fold the stretched dough over the portion of dough opposite it. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 more times. This is 1 set. The dough will get tighter as you move forward, this is normal.

• Cover the bowl and rest 30 minutes.

• Perform another 1 set of stretch and folds covering and resting for 30 minutes.

• Do one final set of stretch and folds and cover the bowl well. Refrigerate overnight.

Next Day – Focaccia

3.      At least 2.5 hours before baking, take the focaccia dough out of the fridge.

In warmer weather or if your home is warm, the dough may need less time, as such, you may want to do the eggplant step prior to taking out the dough.

• With 1 T olive oil, lubricate a ¼ sheet pan being sure to coat the sides and corners well.

• Pour the dough onto the pan.

• Using oiled hands, gently stretch the dough as far as possible to the corners of the pan.

If the dough does not stretch all the way, or springs back, it is okay, stretch as far as possible and continue on.

• Loosely cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap.

• Allow to sit for 2 - 2.5 hours or until the dough is well risen and bubbly.

Continue on to the eggplant salting.

Eggplant Salting

4.      Place the eggplant slices on a large plate or rimmed tray.

• Sprinkle the eggplant with salt on both sides.

• Allow the eggplant to sit for at least 2 hours.

Continue on with the dressing while the eggplant salts.

Dressing

5.      In a medium bowl, combine the dressing ingredients mixing well.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

• Refrigerate until needed.

Continue on to the focaccia toppings.

Focaccia topping and salad

6.      In a small pot, combine the olive oil and the garlic.

• Place the pot over medium-low heat.

• Cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until the garlic is lightly browned.

• Remove the garlic to a paper towel to drain and cool the oil completely.

7.      Gather the remaining focaccia topping and salad ingredients. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Finishing

8.      Preheat oven to 220 C / 430 F.

9.      Working 3 – 4 pieces at a time, stack the eggplant on top of each other.

• Using flat hands, squeeze the liquid out of the eggplant.

• Separate the slices and place on a paper towel.

• Work through all of the eggplant until it has all been squeezed.

• With the back of a spoon, spread each slice of eggplant with gochujang.

Only spread one side of the eggplant with gochujang!

10.  Drizzle the focaccia with 1.5 T of the garlic oil.

• Using your fingertips, dimple the surface of the dough, while also gently spreading it into the corners of the pan.

• Sprinkle with the salt and garlic powder.

• Spread the cheese evenly across the surface of the dough leaving a 0.25in border.

This is meant to be a thin layer of cheese. If you want more cheese, I wouldn’t suggest using more than 35g (0.25 c) more.

• Separating the onion slices into individual pieces, cover the cheese with onion in a single layer, be sure to maintain the border.

If you do not use all of the onion, save it for the salad topping.

• Lay the eggplant, gochujang side down on top of the onion in a single layer.

• Drizzle the surface with 2 t of the garlic oil.

• Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.

• Take the pan from the oven and spread the remaining garlic oil on the crust of the focaccia.

• Remove the focaccia from the pan onto a cooling rack.

• Cool for 10 - 15 minutes.

You want the focaccia to be just warm and no longer hot.

Continue on to Step 11 while the focaccia cools.

11.  5 minutes before the focaccia has finished cooling, in a large bowl, toss to salad greens, carrots and onion to combine.

• Add enough of the dressing to coat the salad to your liking.

12.  Move the focaccia to a cutting board and cut into 12 equal pieces.

• Top each piece with a hearty portion of the salad.

• Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

13.  Serve.