RECIPE: Apple, Bacon & Sage Pizza

It's a fact: teenagers love pizza. And with two teenage boys in the house, there's a lot of pizza-eating capacity around here :) Fortunately, I've gotten pretty darn good at whipping up a homemade pizza, and finally have a thinner-crust dough that meets with my family's approval (if you want a more thick, chewy dough, my Whole Wheat Refrigerator Bread Dough works well!)

We've been experimenting with some more sophisticated pizza variations lately. This Apple, Bacon & Sage Pizza won rave reviews from my whole family (my husband even gasped "I think this is the best pizza you've ever made" while wolfing down his share). We've all decided we actually prefer a white sauce to the typical red sauce on our pizza, so I've been using that a lot as the base. It somehow gives an air of decadence to just about any pizza you can throw together, and takes just a couple of minutes to whip together. And since I planted sage in my garden this year, I've been looking for more ways to use it. It pairs wonderfully with the apples and bacon...and as fresh local apples are just coming into season, NOW is the perfect time to make this pizza!

So, let's get right to it, shall we?

Ingredients:
Crust
¾ cup warm water
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp melted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour (may use up to ½ cup whole wheat flour if desired)

cornmeal for sprinkling

Sauce
2 tbsp butter
6 sage leaves, cut crosswise into thin strips
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk 

Toppings
6 strips bacon
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, sliced
2-3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for a few minutes until yeast starts to foam. Add the salt and butter.

• Gradually stir in the flour until mixture forms a ball of dough. Place dough on a floured surface and knead for several minutes, adding more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic.

• Place dough in a clean bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (about 45-60 minutes).

• While dough is rising, prepare the sauce and toppings: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and softened. Add the flour, stirring to make sure it's completely coated with fat, then slowly whisk in the milk, stirring frequently until sauce thickens. Set aside.

• In a medium frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to cool, then crumble.

• Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the apples and onions and cook until tender and onions have browned slightly.

 (You're almost finished, hang in there!)

• Grease a rimmed baking sheet, then sprinkle with a thin layer of cornmeal. Place the dough on top and start stretching it out with your fingers to fit the baking sheet. To get a really good thin crust, I find using a rolling pin or a round drinking glass to press down and roll it very firmly is helpful.

• Once the crust is in place, spread the sauce over top, leaving about ½" uncovered around the edges. Spread apple/onion mixture evenly over top, then sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. Top with cheese.

• Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares.

Serves 4

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday. 

This is just one of the many simple, delicious and inexpensive new recipes that will be featured in my October menu plans. Go HERE to find out more about them! 

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