Caramelized Onion, Figs, Bacon & Gorgonzola Pizza

I know it’s a mouthful to say but this is one of the few times it’s easier done than said.  Don’t be afraid to make your own pizza, it really is easy, and soo delicious.   The dough cooks into a perfect rustic-style pizza-dough bubbles appearing in places as if it came out of a brick stone oven.   The flavor combination is amazing,  the earthy figs, the creamy gorgonzola and the salty bacon, all surrounded by the sweet onions. I adopted the recipe from food critic Sam Sifton of the New York Times.    I like to make the dough on a thursday, so I can serve it on friday night (what better way to end the week).  You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

 

If you make a lot of pizza, and you may after this recipe, it pays to get a pizza peel and a pizza stone.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour

3/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2  tsp Kosher salt

3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine flours, yeast and salt in a large bowl and whisk.

2.  With a wooden spoon stir in 1 1/2 cup water and olive oil until dough forms.

3.  Dust flour on dough, work surface and your hands and scrape dough onto surface.  Knead for about 10 minutes until a smooth ball forms.  You may need to add more flour to keep from sticking. Let rest for 10 minutes.

4. Generously oil two plates.  Cut dough into 2 pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball.  Place each dough onto a plate, dust with flour and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for about 3 hours or until doubled in size.

5.  Punch each dough ball down, shape into rounds.  Use immediately or place in quart-size freezer bag and refrigerate.

 

Toppings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Spanish onion,

3 tsp fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt to taste

3 slices Canadian bacon

10 dried mission figs

3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

Olive oil to drizzle

Directions:

1. An hour before cooking preheat oven to 500ºF or the highest setting.

2. Cut onion into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Add olive oil into a large frying pan and heat on high.  Add onions, thyme and bay leaves and cook for about 5 minutes, until onions begin to wilt, stir often. Reduce heat to low and cook onions another 25 minutes or until golden brown, stir occasionally to avoid burning.   Remove bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl.

3. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch rectangular pieces and place in frying pan.  Cook on medium-high until brown and crispy.  Transfer to another small bowl.

4. Trim stems of mission figs and cut into quarters.

5.  Heavily flour work station and place pizza dough on top.  Use your hands or rolling pin to roll it into a 14 inch circle-like shape.  (Don’t worry about not getting it into a perfect circle, it will still taste awesome and look even more authentic).

6.  Place on a rimless baking sheet or pizza peel.  Add onions, figs, bacon and gorgonzola.  Slide into oven or onto a pizza stone, if you have one, and cook until brown and bubbly, about 7 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil and add pepper to taste.  Serve with an ice cold beer!