Heirloom Tomato Flat Bread

Heirloom Tomato Flat Bread Dough:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup warm water

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Basil Oil:

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fried Garlic:

1/2 cup canola oil 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup shaved pecorino romano cheese

Minced fresh basil for garnish

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Directions:

For the dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk to blend. Combine the water and oil in a cup and stir into the dry ingredients. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into half, cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rest for thirty minutes.

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For the basil oil: Blanch the basil in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and plunge into ice water to cool. Squeeze dry and place in a blender with the extra-virgin olive oil. Blend for 20 seconds and pass through a fine meshed sieve; discard the solids.

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For the fried garlic; Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to 325. Fry the garlic slices until just golden brown, 2 to 3 seconds. Drain in a fine meshed sieve, then transfer the garlic to a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

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Preheat oven to 400F. with a pizza stone inside, if you have one. Flatten each dough ball into a disk and roll into an 8 inch round. Place the rounds directly on the pizza stone. If not using a pizza stone, place the rounds on a baking sheet. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just golden. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 425F.

Sprinkle half of the Parmesan and mozzarella on each baked bread. Place the breads in the oven on the pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and just starts to turn brown. Remove from the oven and layer each with the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle evenly with the basil oil. Top each with half of the pecorino cheese shavings and return to the oven for about 5 minutes until the pecorino turns slightly golden. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil and fried garlic. Use a pizza wheel to cut each bread into 6 slices and serve right away.