Charred Corn-Poblano Pizza With Lime Crema

Sweet corn has enough sugar to blister in a hot skillet, while poblano peppers bring a deeper, gentler heat than a pile of raw chiles. Put them together on a crisp pizza with two cheeses and a cool lime crema, and the result tastes layered without becoming fussy.

This original recipe is designed for a standard home oven. A preheated steel or stone gives the fastest, darkest bake, but an upside-down sheet pan works, too. The dough is mixed the day before so time can build flavor and structure with very little kneading.

The recipe makes two 12-inch pizzas, enough for four people with a salad. Prepare the toppings while the oven heats, then bake the pizzas one at a time so the cooking surface can recover its heat.

The short answer

Char the corn and poblanos before they reach the pizza, keep the cheese layer modest, and add the lime crema only after baking. Those three choices prevent a watery center, preserve the roasted flavor and keep the fresh finish from breaking in the oven.

Timing and yield

• Active time: About 40 minutes
• Cold rise: 18 to 48 hours
• Bake time: 6 to 10 minutes per pizza, depending on the oven and baking surface
• Yield: Two 12-inch pizzas, serving four

Ingredients

For the dough

• 400 grams bread flour, plus more for shaping
• 260 grams cool water
• 8 grams fine sea salt
• 2 grams instant yeast, about 1/2 teaspoon
• 10 grams extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 teaspoons

For the topping

• 2 medium poblano peppers
• 2 ears fresh corn, shucked, or 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn, patted very dry
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 12 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, grated
• 1/3 cup finely crumbled cotija
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cornmeal or semolina, for the peel or pan
• Cilantro leaves and lime wedges, for serving

For the lime crema

• 1/2 cup sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons water, as needed

Make the dough

1. Mix: Stir the flour, water, salt, yeast and olive oil in a large bowl until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
2. Fold: With a damp hand, lift one edge of the dough and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl and repeat three more times. Cover for another 15 minutes, then repeat the four folds once.
3. Chill: Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Shape each into a taut ball, place in lightly oiled covered containers and refrigerate for 18 to 48 hours.
4. Warm: Take the dough out 60 to 90 minutes before baking. Keep it covered so the surface does not dry out.

Prepare the vegetables and crema

1. Roast the poblanos: Set the peppers directly under a broiler, turning until their skins are blistered and blackened all over, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover for 10 minutes. Rub away the loose skin, then stem, seed and slice the peppers into thin strips.
2. Char the corn: Heat a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and the corn. Leave it undisturbed for a minute at a time so patches darken, stirring only occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the scallion whites, cumin, salt and pepper; cook 30 seconds more, then cool.
3. Mix the crema: Stir the sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, honey and salt together. Thin with just enough water to make it drizzle from a spoon. Refrigerate until serving.

Shape and bake

1. Heat the oven: Place a baking steel, stone or upside-down heavy sheet pan on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Heat to the oven's highest setting, ideally 500 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, for at least 45 minutes.
2. Shape: Lightly flour one dough ball. Press from the center outward, leaving a thicker rim, then stretch it over the backs of your hands to a 12-inch round. Place it on a peel or a sheet of parchment lightly dusted with cornmeal or semolina.
3. Top lightly: Add half the mozzarella, half the charred corn mixture and half the poblano strips, leaving a 1-inch border. Finish with half the cotija and a few drops of the remaining olive oil. Give the peel a small shake; if the dough sticks, lift the edge and add a little more cornmeal.
4. Bake: Slide the pizza onto the hot surface. Bake until the rim is deeply browned, the cheese bubbles and the bottom is crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. If the bottom is ready before the top, switch on the broiler for the final 30 to 60 seconds and watch closely.
5. Finish: Move the pizza to a rack for one minute so steam does not soften the base. Drizzle with lime crema, scatter with scallion greens and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges. Repeat with the second dough ball and remaining toppings.

Why the method works

A long, cold rest develops a dough that stretches more easily and tastes fuller without requiring a large amount of yeast. Preheating a steel, stone or sheet pan stores heat for the instant the dough lands. King Arthur Baking's pizza guidance likewise recommends a thoroughly preheated surface and notes that a metal sheet pan can stand in when a steel or stone is unavailable.

The topping order matters just as much. Low-moisture mozzarella protects the dough from the vegetables, pre-charring drives off excess water, and the salty cotija seasons the sweeter corn. The lime crema goes on last, where its acidity stays vivid against the roasted flavors.

Easy substitutions

• Use a 16-ounce ball of good refrigerated pizza dough when there is no time for the cold rise; divide it in half for two thinner pizzas or make one larger pie.
• Swap Anaheim peppers for a milder result, or add a thinly sliced jalapeño for sharper heat.
• Use feta in place of cotija, but reduce the added salt because brands vary.
• For a fully corn-forward finish, replace the honey in the crema with 1 teaspoon of agave syrup.

Store and reheat

Refrigerate leftover pizza within two hours in a covered container. The USDA lists pizza at three to four days in a refrigerator kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Reheat slices in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until the base is crisp and the cheese is hot, then add a fresh spoonful of crema.