Shrimp and Pesto Pizza

This simple Shrimp and Pesto pizza has become our new favourite.  It is easy to put together with the ingredients in the freezer and pantry.  

Make pizza dough ahead and portion it to freeze or store in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

We make this pizza on our Big Green Egg while we are camping or else on a pizza stone in the oven. Either way, it is a pizza you are bound to make again and again.

Pizza Dough  (enough for 3 - 4 pizzas)

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt  (if using fine grained table salt, reduce to 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
• 5 cups flour

1. Combine all ingredients but flour in a large bowl.  Add flour and stir together with a spoon and then use your hands when stirring gets too difficult.  Knead gently for a few minutes until all the flour is incorporated.  
2.  Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap in a large bowl.  Allow the pizza dough to rise for two hours and then refrigerate.  Be sure that the dough is covered with plastic wrap and a lose lid and none of the dough is exposed to air.  
3. The pizza dough is ready to use after 24 hours.  You can use it after the first rise but the dough consistency and flavour is better when the dough has had a chance to age. 
4. If after one week you have not used up all the dough, portion off the dough you have not used into freezer bags and freeze.  Simply thaw and roll dough out and top and allow to rise for an hour before baking.
5. To bake, preheat oven or BBQ to 500 F.  Preheat pizza stone for 20 minutes and transfer topped pizza onto hot stone quickly with a pizza peel (sprinkled with cornmeal) or simply shape dough onto a pizza pan and top.  

Shrimp and Pesto Pizza

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
• 450 grams / 1 lb. frozen raw shrimp, peeled and tails removed (thawed)
• 1/4 cup pesto

1. Combine mayonnaise,  Parmesan cheese, and minced garlic. Spread evenly over shaped pizza crust. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.
2. Arrange shrimp and small spoonfuls of pesto evenly over mayo base. 
3. Bake or grill about 15 minutes.  Shrimp should be opaque and the crust should be lightly browned around the edges.