Some say there’s no such thing as a bad pizza, but for me few things in life are more disheartening than a sub-par pie. I am really, really picky when it comes to pizza. I eat it so rarely so when I want pizza, I want a crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside crust, the right amount of good tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Throw in some gourmet toppings and I’m a happy camper.
I know, I am the worst. But the way I see it, if I’m going to indulge on something like pizza and dedicate a large chunk of my daily calorie intake on it, then I think it’s ok to enjoy pizza just the way I like it.
After a series of disappointing pizzas from restaurants, I decided to get serious about my at-home pizza game. I’ve tried a couple crusts, including this one from last year, but it wasn’t quite was I looking for. After some research, I decided to give Jim Lahey’s popular No-Knead Pizza Dough a try. To up the ante, I orderd Tipo 00 flour from Amazon. It’s finer than all-purpose flour and is what’s typically used to create that Neapolitan style pizza I love so much. If you can’t justify the extra price, all-purpose flour works fine.
I also invested in a cast iron pizza stone. There is a lot of research out there about which material is best for pizza stones. Pizza steal is definitely a popular option, but I Just love cast iron and I can see using my stone for all kinds of applications. It was cheaper than the pizza steal, too, and I’ve found it creates a perfectly crispy crust on the bottom of my pizza.
The last addition to my homemade pizza toolkit was a pizza paddle. With the recipe, flour, and pizza stone I am feeling very happy with my homemade pizza.
The recipe for the dough makes 6 rounds. I’m only using one for this recipe but I’ve found the dough freezes beautifully wrapped in plastic wrap. In fact, after I froze the dough and let it thaw when I was ready to use it, the texture came out even better. If you’re not using homemade dough, store bought is absolutely fine.
Of course making homemade pizza doesn’t require special equipment. You can still achieve amazing results with store bought dough and a baking sheet. But if you’re trying to up your homemade pizza game, I’d highly recommend starting with a good dough recipe and some kind of pizza stone made from steal or cast iron.
The best part of homemade pizza are the toppings. This pizza is a hybrid of some of Jay’s and my favorite flavors. Sweet caramelized onions, creamy swiss and salty canadian bacon make for a tasty topping combo. Try it out and tell me about it in the comments below!
Caramelized Onion Pizza with Canadian Bacon and Swiss Cheese
Makes 1 12 Inch Pizza
For the Caramelized Onions
- 2 Medium White Onions
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Brown Sugar
Place on non-stick pan over medium heat. Slice the onions and add them to the pan. Season with salt and turn the heat down to medium low. Allow the onions to cook down to desired doneness. I let mine go for about 30 minutes. When you’re onions are cooked, add the brown sugar, stir, and allow the brown sugar to cook down for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Pizza
- 1 Round of Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Pizza Dough (Makes 6 Rounds) or Favorite Store Bought Pizza Dough
- 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
- 2 Oz. Swiss Cheese
- 2 Oz. Mozzarella
- 2 Slices Canadian Bacon
- 1/4 Caramelized Onion
Preheat the oven to 500-550. If using a pizza stone, place in the oven and allow the stone to heat up for an hour before using. Roll out your dough on a sheet of parchment paper and top with tomato sauce, cheeses, canadian bacon, and caramelized onions. If using a pizza stone, open the oven and lay the pizza with parchment paper on top of the stone then close the oven. If using a baking sheet, place the pizza on the baking sheet with the parchment paper and place in the oven. Allow to cook for 7-8 minutes or until the crust starts to turn brown. Remove from the oven, slice, and serve.
