If you’ve ever looked for a reason to try beef stroganoff with something besides egg noodles, this is it. The beef, mushrooms, and sour cream’s flavors really sing here, while just the right amount of garlic and onion and lots of cheese round everything out. This is also a good place to start if you’d like to experiment more with your pizza toppings. The most important part of this recipe is making sure the crust on the bottom is crispy enough to hold all the toppings. You’ll also need to let the sauce cool a bit before adding the sour cream so it doesn’t break. This makes a lot, so it can serve 6 people if your group doesn’t have big eaters, or save the extra slices for some stellar leftovers.
How to Make It
Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in oven; preheat oven to 450°F. Remove dough from refrigerator; set aside at room temperature.
Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup of the milk in a small bowl until smooth. Heat remaining 1 cup milk in a small skillet over medium-high until bubbles form and milk just simmers. Stir in flour mixture; simmer, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper; set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over high until foamy. Add onion, mushroom caps, garlic, and thyme; cook, stirring often, until mushrooms soften and release their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes. Add beef; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and liquid has evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 10 minutes.
Roll dough into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a pizza peel or rimless cookie sheet with cornmeal. Place dough on prepared peel. Prick liberally with a fork, and brush with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil. Slide dough off of peel and onto hot pizza stone in preheated oven. Bake 3 minutes; remove from oven. Spread sour cream mixture in a circle on dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top evenly with beef mixture and cheese. Return to oven, and bake at 450°F until cheese is bubbly and melted, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven.
Brush crust with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle pizza with chives and paprika. Cut into 12 wedges.