Recipe for masa crust pizza featuring the Three Sisters. Corn, beans and squash are three of the earliest domesticated crops grown by Native Americans in the Sonoran region. Known as the Three Sisters, each plant supports the other. Corn stalks give beans a place to climb, beans produce nitrogen that feeds the corn and squash, and squash leaves shade the ground to hold moisture. For this recipe, prepared masa is pressed into a cast iron skillet for the crust. The recipe first appeared in Tucson Lifestyle Magazine and also features in my Taste of Tucson Cookbook. If you have never tried tepary beans, this is an excellent way to start.
What Makes the Masa Crust Pizza Special?
Masa harina is nixtamalized corn flour. The corn is treated with an alkaline solution before grinding. It is the same masa harina used for corn tortillas and tamales. It is gluten-free, which makes it one of the most accessible pizza crusts you can make at home. The cast iron skillet generates the bottom heat that creates a crispy crust. A regular baking sheet will not achieve the same result.
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 2 cups warm water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup prepared pizza sauce
- ¼ cup sliced baby zucchini
- ¼ cup roasted corn kernels I used Trader Joe's
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbles
- Smoked garlic chipotle seasoning or substitute garlic powder and dried chipotle powder, to taste
- ½ cup halved heirloom cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup prepared tepary beans
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Stir the salt into the warm water until dissolved. Measure the masa harina into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour half of the water into the well and kneed in the masa. Keep kneading and adding water until the dough is slightly sticky and has the consistency of pizza dough. Form into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel.
- Rub a 9-10" cast iron skillet with the olive oil. Press the masa dough into the pan and up the sides to form a thin layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes on the lower rack.
Remove from oven and top with the pizza sauce cheese, corn, and squash. Sprinkle with the garlic chipotle seasoning. Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
To serve top pizza with cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and tepary beans. Slice and serve.
