Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Crispy Bacon

Ready in 4h 15 minutes
Prep: 50 minutes
Inactive: 3h

Cook: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 main course or 

4 appetizer servings

  
Ingredients

1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 slices of bacon (about 2 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small peeled, thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup of farmer's cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces of Pizza Dough, recipe follows
1/2 cup of grated mozzarella
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
Pizza Dough:
1 package of active dry or fresh yeast
1 teaspoon of honey
1 cup of warm water, 105-115 degrees F
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing

Directions

First place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Then add olive oil in a medium size saute pan and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the bacon and cook until the bacon is very crispy and all of the fat is rendered. Then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. After that remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and then discard. Then place the pan over high heat and add the onions to the hot bacon fat and cook until the onions are well browned, for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often. After that remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Next combine the mascarpone and farmer's cheeses in a small bowl. Then season with nutmeg and black pepper and reserve.

After that stretch or roll the dough as thinly as possible on a lightly floured surface, about 14-15-inch circle. Then evenly spread the mascarpone mixture over the dough. After that sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, thyme, bacon, and sauteed onion. Then bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned, for about 8-10 minutes.

After that remove pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board, cut into slices and serve immediately. 

Pizza Dough: 

First dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl.

Then combine the flour and the salt in a food processor. Then add the yeast mixture, the oil,  and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and process until the mixture forms a ball, remember the pizza dough can also be made in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. After that mix on low speed until the mixture comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and starts to climb up the dough hook.

Next turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for 2-3 minutes longer. In the end the dough should be smooth and firm. After that cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about two hours. Once the dough is ready, it will stretch as it is lightly pulled.

After that divide the dough into four balls, about six ounces each. Then work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Do this 4-5 times. After that on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, for about one minute. Then cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for one hour. The balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days, at this point, .

Yield: dough for four small pizzas