Globe Artichoke Pizza with Lemon Parmesan Sauce

Hola, sorry its been a few weeks since my last recipe. I've just got back from a lovely holiday traveling up the sunny south east coast of Spain working on my tan lines and feasting on the local cuisine.  Now I'm back and full of Spaniard inspiration starting with this recipe using globe artichokes which is a edible flower that grows through out Spain, Italy and Mediterranean countries. This recipe is slightly labour intensive but is a great way on brushing up how to prepare artichokes and bread dough. Enjoy.

6 tightly packed small artichokes
2 springs rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juiced
100ml water

SAUCE:
50g butter
50g plain flour
200ml whole milk
150g grated parmesan
Pinch of sea salt

DOUGH:
400g strong flour
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
6g dried yeast
275ml warm water

METHOD:
Prepare artichokes by slicing the base off then using scissors cut the tips off each artichoke petal. Sit artichokes in baking tray and drizzle over water, lemon juice and olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tray with foil and bake in oven set at 180oC for 30 minutes. Once cooked leave to stand for half an hour.
To make the dough, place the yeast and sugar in with water and leave to ferment for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl add the flour and salt then roughly mix together. Add the fermented liquid to flour and start to knead, once a dough forms pour in olive oil and knead in the bowl for 2 minutes. Dust a clean bench surface with flour and turn dough out onto surface and knead vigorously for 10 minutes. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with a little extra oil and add the dough, cover and leave to stand in warm place till doubled in size. Brush a 30x20cm baking tray with extra olive oil and dust with flour then tap it round the pan. When dough has doubled in size fold out into baking tray and stretch out till it lays flat and even in the tray. Using your finger tips press the surface of dough to created small pockets, then drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Bake dough in oven set at 220oC for 10 minutes, once cooked flip the dough over gently using 2 spatulas and bake for a farther 5 minutes. When the base has fully cooked carefully flip back over in tray and leave to cool.
For the sauce melt butter in sauce pan then add flour and stir till the kitchen is filled with the smell of short bread. Add salt and very gradually pour in the milk while stirring, this will prevent lumps. Once all the milk has been added pour in the parmesan and lemon juice, stir till the cheese has just melted then remove from heat. 
To finish preparing the artichokes peel off the tough grey outer leaves till you reach the more fleshy pale part of artichoke. Cut artichokes in half and remove the purple leaves and hairy section with a teaspoon or fingers. Then cut each portion of artichoke in half once more. 
Spread the sauce evenly over dough base and gently break up and distribute the artichoke over pizza. Lastly pick off rosemary leaves and sprinkle over artichokes with a little extra seasoning and olive oil. Bake in oven at 180oC for 15 minutes, once cooked leave to stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 piece's.  

Tomato and cheese tart:

Not necessarily the healthiest of tarts (you could use low fat cheeses instead), more of a pizza-pie. As most households won't have a pizza oven or stone brick I've crafted a nifty way round the technique for crispy bottom with a soft tasty topping, combining the uses of a fry pan and the oven this is the best home pizza you'll make.

100g Parmesan

100g buffalo mozzarella

100g Blues cheese

100g Gruyere

3 tomatoes

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cracked pepper

3 tablespoon olive oil

6 large basil leaves

Dough:

250g strong flour

2 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoon olive oil
200ml warm water

Method:

Firstly make the dough, place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle sugar and yeast onto the water and leave to ferment for 10 minutes, in a larger bowl add the flour and salt. Once the yeast has started to foam pour into the flour and mix together with your hand for 10 seconds then pour in the oil and start to kneed, if the mixture is still quite dry and not combining add a little extra water. Once the dough forms into a ball cover and leave to stand.

To make the tomato sauce dice the onion and crush the garlic, place the olive oil in a sauce pan and put on a medium heat then add onion and garlic, while the onion and garlic is sautéing roughly dice the tomato. When the onion has turned soft and transparent add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar and leave to simmer for 15 minutes stirring periodically, once the tomato sauce has cooked place in a food processor with basil leaves and pulse till smooth.

On a floured surface roll the dough out roughly round 12inch circle, place and fry pan on a high heat with a dash of olive oil once hot put the dough in pan forming higher edges (like a pie) this will help hold the sauce, cook in pan till the bottom browns, remove from pan onto a baking tray. Spoon the sauce into the base and evenly spread round the tart. Grate the Parmesan and Gruyere, thinly slice and break up the mozzarella and brie, spread the Gruyere and mozzarella evenly over the tart followed by the brie and finally the Parmesan. Place the tart in oven heated at 220oC for 10 minutes, once cooked leave to cool for 2minutes before cutting, makes 6 serves.