September 15, 2026 · white-pizza
New Hampshire Mushroom & Taleggio
Regional guide — we haven't cooked this one yet
Hens-of-the-woods, taleggio, thyme, a hit of lemon when it comes off the peel. This one tastes like the woods smell in October.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 7 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Servings
- One 10–12 inch pizza
In September and October, hens-of-the-woods mushrooms — maitake, if you’re buying from a market — start showing up at the base of oaks around here. They’re unmistakable: big frilly clusters, tan and brown, growing in rosettes close to the ground. They smell like the forest floor. They taste like what you’d want a mushroom to taste like.
Pair them with taleggio and the combination — earthy, funky, fatty — works because each part covers for the others: the mushrooms bring depth and a little meatiness, the taleggio brings funk and fat, and the thyme ties it all to the season. No red sauce. No mozzarella. Just the mushrooms, the cheese, thyme, and a squeeze of lemon at the end that makes everything else louder.
It’s a fall pie — this is when hens-of-the-woods show up.
Notes
On taleggio: Buy it from a cheese counter if you can, not pre-packaged. It should smell assertive but not alarming — barnyard, not spoiled. The rind is edible but turns papery at oven temperatures; removing it gives you a cleaner melt.
On the mushrooms: Hens-of-the-woods can vary enormously in size. Break or cut them into pieces no larger than a silver dollar before cooking — larger pieces won’t cook through in a short bake.
On sourcing: If you’re in New Hampshire or Vermont, check farmers markets in September–October. If you’re buying from a grocery store, maitake is the same mushroom under its Japanese name. Cremini or shiitake will work but give a less interesting result.
On white pizzas generally: Without sauce to balance the salt, go lighter on the cheese than you’d instinctively reach for. The taleggio is rich. Two ounces is enough; three is the maximum before the pie tips into heavy.
Related
Ingredients
Instructions
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Cook the mushrooms
This step happens before the pizza goes on the peel. Don't skip it — raw mushrooms on a fast oven will steam and turn rubbery rather than roast. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. When shimmering, add the mushrooms in a single layer — don't stir for the first 2 minutes, let them make contact with the pan. Add the garlic and thyme sprigs, season with salt, and cook another 3–4 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and reduced by about half. Pull from heat and let cool slightly. Remove thyme sprigs.
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Stretch and oil
Stretch your dough ball and lay it on a floured peel. Work quickly — dough on a peel is borrowing time. Brush the surface with olive oil, leaving a half-inch border.
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Par-bake
On a Ninja Woodfire, the natural starting point is the 550°F routine we use for our everyday pies: preheat about 20 minutes until the stone reads around 540°F, then launch the oiled dough bare and par-bake about 1:30. We haven't made this one yet, so treat these times as a starting point.
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Top the shell
Pull the shell back onto the peel. Scatter the Parmigiano evenly over the oil. Distribute the taleggio pieces — don't try to cover every inch, leave gaps, the cheese will spread and pool. Pile the mushrooms on top. Season lightly with black pepper and a pinch of flaky salt. No additional salt — the taleggio and Parmigiano are already doing the work.
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Bake
Slide it back onto the stone and bake about 5 minutes, watching closely — pull it when the cheese is melted and browning at the edges.
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Finish
Slide off the peel onto a cutting board. Immediately: a squeeze of lemon over the entire surface, a scatter of fresh thyme leaves, and a few flakes of salt. Let it sit 90 seconds before cutting — taleggio needs a moment to set or it runs off the slice.
Gear for this style
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Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
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Etekcity Infrared Thermometer