This isn’t your typical pizza. The dough is almost like a foccacia bread, and it doesn’t have a red sauce. I was in a pizza rut and came across this flatbread recipe and was intrigued by the combination of flavors.
This is an awesome recipe if you are looking for something different. The caramelized onions with cabernet and balsamic are ridiculous. I could eat them with a spoon and probably did.
Prep time: 1 – 1 1/2 hours
Cook time: 35 min.
Serves 4-6
For the dough:
-1 packet active dry yeast
-1 c. warm water
-1 tsp. sugar
-1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
-1 c. whole wheat flour
-2 tsp. sea salt
-2 T. olive oil
For the pizza:
-2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
-2 T. balsamic vinegar
-1 T. sherry vinegar
-1/2 c. red wine, such as Cabernet (use something full bodied)
-1 T. honey
-1 1/2 lbs. sweet or hot italian sausage, your preference(I used hot and then added fennel seeds and more hot pepper flakes because I love that flavor and balance)
-2 c. grated manchego cheese
-3 T. finely chopped chives
-1-2 T. coarse ground cornmeal
Begin by making the dough. Pour packet of yeast into a large bowl and add 1 cup of warm water as well as 1 tsp. sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes or so or until a bubbly foam forms at the top. Then, add both flours, the sea salt, and olive oil, and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
Then, take the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 6 to 7 minutes, until it is throughly combined and develops an elasticity.
Rub the inside of the bowl with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and place the dough ball in the bowl, then rub a bit more olive oil on the top. Let sit in bowl, covered with a dish towel for 1-1 1/2 hours to rise. Dough should double in size after this time.
After dough is finished, preheat oven to 450℉.
Sauté onions in a large skillet with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, for about 10 minutes or until they cook down, soften, and develop a rich caramel color. Add wine, balsamic and sherry vinegar, honey, and a little salt and pepper, and reduce until the liquid is absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
Sauté sausage in the same pan, breaking up into small pieces with a spatula until browned and cooked through. I added a tablespoon of fennel seeds and and a teaspoon on red pepper flakes; I like a lot of flavor. This step is optional.
Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick, to fit the shape of your baking sheet or stone.
Sprinkle the cornmeal onto a large baking skeet or pizza stone, to ensure the dough wont stick and for extra crispiness. I do this to all of my pizzas, it’s a great trick!
Put rolled dough on baking sheet and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and bake the dough for 6-8 minutes, depending on your oven, until lightly golden. You don’t want the dough to fully cook during this step.
Once golden, remove from oven and sprinkle half of the grated manchego cheese, followed by the caramelized onion mixture, then the sausage, and lastly the remaining cheese on top. Bake for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden, and well as golden edges on the pizza crust.
Remove from oven, and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve!
I love pizza.
..and wine.
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