Pumpkin Pizza with Apples, Prosciutto and Brie

Now that it's October, it's perfectly fine to put pumpkin in everything and be excited about it.

For example, I love Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte and wish they had it year round.  But would I like it as much in the spring season?  We'll never know.

This pizza, it's not all that pumpkin-y.  But it is a little orange which makes it more fall-y.

And no surprise here, like all pizza, it pairs well with beer. 

Pumpkin Pizza Dough
(I cut this recipe in half)

¼ cup barely warm water
½ teaspoon honey
½ Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 ¾ cups bread flour
½ cup canned pumpkin, (Not pumpkin pie filling)
1 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the bowl
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Toppings
Apple, sliced thin (I used a pink lady)
Prosciutto
Brie

Directions
Measure out the ¼ cup of warm water in a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add the honey and yeast and set aside until it is foamy.

In a stand mixer, combine the rest of the ingredients and use the dough hook to knead it for a few minutes.  Then remove and knead by hands on the counter for a few minutes.  Coat a large bowl with olive oil.  Place the dough ball in and flip to cover will olive oil.  Cover with a clean towel and set in a warm place to rise for an hour or until it doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Roll out the dough on a pizza peel (if using a pizza stone) or baking sheet. Top with the sliced apple, prosciutto and brie.  Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the crust is lightly browned.

Caramelized Onion, Asparagus, and Pancetta Pizza

It took me four tries to finally get this pizza right.

 

The first time I was in a rush and I burned the caramelized onions.  I am too impatient to do caramelized onions the right way.  I'm working on it.

 

I blame the second failure on the Olympics.  I put the pizza on the grill, watched some beach volleyball, then went back to find myself with a blackened pizza.  It actually didn't taste that bad.

The third try was when I took all the ingredients over to Suzi's house to make the pizza there.  Third time's the charm, right?  Nope, forgot the pancetta.

Finally I did it!  And it was good!  Joe and I finished off the entire thing in one sitting.

 It's a lot of work but if you can get it right, it's delicious and worth it.

Caramelized Onion, Asparagus, and Pancetta Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza dough of your choosing

Garlic infused Olive Oil (roast a head of garlic in olive oil in a ramekin for about 45 min)

Asparagus, roasted and cut into bite sized pieces

Caramelized Onion

1/2 Cup of Pancetta, cut into small squares

Pecorino

Directions

Roll out your dough on a pizza peel.  Use flour or cornmeal under the dough so it will slide off easily.  Turn all the burners of your grill on high, put a pizza stone on the grates and close the lid to let it heat up. In a small skillet, heat the pancetta over low heat until some of the fat is rendered and they brown up a little bit.

Assemble the pizza:  Brush on some garlic infused olive oil and top it with the asparagus, caramelized onions and the pancetta.  Once the grill reaches 500°F (or hotter!), slide the pizza onto the stone and close the lid.  It should take about 5-6 minutes but keep an eye on it.  Once the sides and bottom have browned, slide the pizza back onto the pizza peel.  Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and devouring.