Pizza! (Pear, Caramelized Onion, Gorgonzola)

 

Pizza!

We love pizza and we love fun toppings! This pear, caramelized onion, and gorgonzola pizza is one of our favorites! We also like to top it with bacon or prosciutto, but we also enjoy topping it with fresh, lightly dressed arugula.

We have a pizza stone from pampered chef, which we love, and we highly recommend cooking pizza on a pizza stone. That being said, if you do not have a pizza stone, you can use a large non-stick baking sheet that is comfortable an oven above 400 degrees F. If you do use the non-stick pan, we do recommend using the bottom side (so it is easier to slide the pizza on and off) and brushing with olive oil.

 

Ingredients (1 large pizza):

• Pizza dough (or make your own using the recipe below)
• 1/2 pear (I use bosc), thinly sliced
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• ¾ cup shredded smoked gouda cheese (we have also done without and used extra of the other cheeses)
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 2-3 pieces of bacon, cooked, optional
• 2-3 slices of prosciutto, cooked, optional
• Fresh arugula, optional

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and add the sliced onions. Cook until they soften and turn a light golden brown (about 10 minutes).                
3. Roll your dough out on your sheet or stone and brush the top of the dough with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle the mozzarella and smoked gouda cheeses evenly over the pizza. Top with your pear slices, add your bacon/prosciutto (if using), add your caramelized onions, and add the fresh thyme.
5. Sprinkle evenly with the gorgonzola crumbles.                                   
6. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until the pizza and crust are golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and remove from the pizza stone onto a cutting board or surface for cutting the pizza                                                                                          
8. Allow the pizza to cool a few minutes and then serve
9. OPTIONAL: If you want to top with fresh arugula, prep the arugula while the pizza cools. Toss your *already rinsed and dried* fresh arugula with a little bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper. It should just be very lightly dressed. Top each slice of pizza with a hearty scoop of the arugula and enjoy.
10. TIP: Always top with fresh parmesan cheese

Pizza Dough Recipe (Passed on to us from our friends, Kyle and Tanya, who do live at high altitudes). I modified their recipe slightly.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 ½ tsp dry active yeast
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flours and salt in a bowl (stand mixer bowl, if you have one)
2. Heat your water so that it is lukewarm and whisk together the water, yeast, and olive oil in a separate bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture to the flour mixture.
4. Using a bread hook attachment (or your hands), combine all of the ingredients (you may need to add slightly more water).
5. I allow the bead hook to combine all ingredients until I have a slightly moist ball (not too dry but not too sticky) (~1 minute). Then I knead/mix the dough on the counter-top with my hands for 3-4 minutes.
6. Coat a medium bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside the bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or beeswax and allow to rest for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
7. Remove the dough from the fridge and kneed on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough back in the oiled bowl (you may need to re-oil the bowl) and allow to sit in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
8. Remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes before you wish to make your pizza