My dear friend Matt Michel caters pizza parties from his wood-oven pizza truck, Rolling in Dough. Who better to help me perfect my pizza dough than the man behind the wheel? Nasturtium petals are unexpected in pizza crust, but their peppery essence works so well. I like mine served sauceless with lots of toppings, but to each his own.

　　

Ingredients

Makes two 12-inch pizzas

　　

Nasturtium Flower Dough

1 cup warm water

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan

　　1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dried yeast (about 1 1/4 teaspoons)

　　2 1/2 cups high-gluten bread flour

　　1 cup semolina flour,* plus more for dusting

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1 cup nasturtium flowers

　　*If you can't find semolina, substitute high-gluten bread flour.

　　

Toppings

About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/3 cup herb flower pesto

　　About 1/2 cup (4 ounces) goat cheese

　　1/3 cup nasturtium flowers

　　Other toppings of your choice

　　

Step 1

1. Put warm water, sugar, and oil in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes, until mixture foams. In a medium bowl, stir to combine flours, salt, and nasturtium flowers. Sprinkle flour mixture into yeast mixture. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and bouncy. Cover the bowl with a cotton kitchen towel and let stand for about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in volume.

　　

Step 2

2. Turn dough onto a surface dusted with flour and knead by pushing it away from your body with the heel of your hand, folding it over, and repeating about 12 times. Divide dough into two balls. At this point, dough can be baked or stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap.

　　

Step 3

3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Rub two baking sheets with olive oil and dust with semolina flour. Stretch out each dough ball by tapping and pressing outward from the center with your fingertips. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Cover with toppings of your choice. Bake pizzas for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking so the dough browns evenly. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

　　Reprinted with permission from Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers by Miche Bacher; photography by Miana Jun. Copyright © 2013 by Miche Bacher; photographs © 2013 by Quirk Productions, Inc. Published by Quirk Books.