Sometimes the name of a dish sounds so intimidating your immediate reaction is: "Pish posh! I can't make that! And why did I just say pish posh?"
Such might be the case with the pizza you see above. You hear "pizza" and that doesn't sound so difficult, but you add "caramelized onions, rosemary and gorgonzola" and you feel like you're on Planet Impossible. Well come back to Earth, Earthling, and let me assure you: that pizza you see above may SOUND difficult, but it's really a cinch. Here, let me convince you.
To make the pizza you see above, choose any recipe you want for the pizza dough. I used Elise's from Simply Recipes (click here) and though the dough was super sticky, it was extraordinarily easy to make--especially with a Kitchen Aid mixer. Plus I had all of the ingredients right on hand: flour, water, olive oil, salt and sugar.
While the dough was rising in the oven...
...I got to work on the topping.
The topping comes from the Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza and Calzone cookbook and it's the one that, when I read all the topping options outloud to Craig, made him squeal: "Ooooh, that one! That one!"
Here's what you need:
- 4 onions
- fresh rosemary
- good gorgonzola cheese
You slice the 4 onions really really thinly and place in a pan with 2 or 3 Tbs butter and an equal amount of olive oil (or less--it's not very specific) on low heat. Add salt and pepper and stir around.
An hour later, the onions will be caramelized and the dough will have risen. How hard is that?
Now divide the dough in half, place in separate bowls to let rise a little more, and while that's happening preheat the oven to 450.
If you have a pizza stone, that works best, but I left mine in my old Chelsea Apartment (hey you, in 23A: give it back!) so I used a baking sheet, which I placed in the oven while it preheated.
Then, on a pizza peel (which you really don't need, but which is fun to have--it's a big flat shovel that you see them use at your local pizza parlor) I covered the whole thing in polenta (which is corn meal), stretched out the dough--which was difficult, actually, because it was so sticky--and once I had a decent circle that shifted around when I shook the peel (meaning that it would release when I opened the oven), I placed on the toppings.
You don't want to overload it, or the pizza won't get crispy, so I put on about half the onions, big glops of gorgonzola, a sprinkling of finely chopped rosemary and then a few grindings of pepper. Into the hot oven it went and ten minutes later, it came out looking like this:
Craig called it "a big hit" and I had to concur. I made two of them so we each had our own, which I thought would be too much, but they were both pretty much gone in ten minutes. Well his was.
"Can I have a slice of yours?" he asked when one slice remained on my plate.
"No," I answered. Give up my pizza? Had he lost it?
It's that good. And that easy. Did it sound that hard? It's really not. You could go make it right now. Why don't you? Make it right now. NOW!!!
Comments (31)
Theres a place that makes a carmelized onion pizza near my house. This pizza looks really good and crispy. While I normally suggest using everything Alton, I would not reccomend using his recipie for pizza dough as it is really salty (everyone complains about this and I didn't believe them until I tried it). I hear Mario has a pretty good dough too... like you didn't expect that.
Posted by Felix | February 27, 2008 2:17 PM
That might be one of the ugliest pizzas I have ever seen. It looks more like focaccia than pizza.
Posted by Nicholas Bergus | February 27, 2008 2:27 PM
This is incredibly similar to a pizza I made a couple of weeks ago from a recipe I got to test from Cook's Illustrated. The dough was incredibly easy to make (in my Kitchen Aid) and the rest was just caramelized onions, thyme, and cheese (what kind, I can't remember, but it was really good). I
Posted by Devlyn | February 27, 2008 3:08 PM
I LOVE this pizza dough recipe. I've been using Elise's recipe for quite awhile now and it is the best one I've come across. Its very easy to work with - though I do add a bit of extra flour to combat the stickiness and make it easier to work with. If you have a pizza stone and plan to make multiple pizzas at a time I think the peel is an essential tool. It makes the process that much easier!
I love the idea of the caramelized onions, rosemary and gorgonzola. I'll have to try that on my next Pizza Friday. Thanks!
Posted by Christine | February 27, 2008 3:25 PM
I do a very similar pizza to this over my wood-fired bbq. Amazing smokiness and char to the crust.
Posted by Tony | February 27, 2008 3:34 PM
AmGour: I love ya and all, man, but you gotta spread that dough out thinner! ;) But what the hell, I'd eat it. Plus, the toppings and topping combo sound great.
Posted by Adam K. | February 27, 2008 4:23 PM
Your favorite celebrity chef, Ina, has a great pizza dough recipe. It's in her Parties cookbook. I've had good luck with it--very easy to work with.
Posted by Jill | February 27, 2008 4:26 PM
Your favorite celebrity chef, Ina, has a great pizza dough recipe. It's in her Parties cookbook. I've had good luck with it--very easy to work with.
Posted by Jill | February 27, 2008 4:28 PM
looks fabulous! disregard the haters~
Posted by selena | February 27, 2008 7:34 PM
I used to try really hard to make a perfect circle of a pizza. I worked the dough so much it turned to rubber! Now I've learned to love whatever zen shape I get on the first toss. Beautiful pizza!
Posted by Eric | February 27, 2008 7:54 PM
Pizza can have so many combination of topping to each taste. But personally I enjoy great dough with my combination of toppings. The dough in the picture has great browning, is the bottom crispy 1/4 inch thick with a bread texture inside? My cookies have a crispy outside with a pudding like texture inside. http://hotcookies.net
Posted by John Calkins | February 27, 2008 10:02 PM
this is so funny because while i'm waiting for my gorgonzola pizza to bake, i check your blog and what do I see?! except i forgot the carmelized onions on mine. still, great minds think alike!
Posted by terri | February 27, 2008 10:09 PM
Wow, this looks delicious. Thank you for sharing with me.
Posted by Justin | February 27, 2008 11:12 PM
Wow, this looks delicious. Thank you for sharing with me.
Posted by Justin | February 27, 2008 11:13 PM
"Pish posh" is a perfectly legitimate and excellent expression, and any occasion to use it should be considered a gift! :n)
Your pish-posh-pizza makes my mouth water and my heart envious.
Posted by Narinda | February 28, 2008 4:04 AM
I had tagged Elise's recipe for pizza a while ago but hadn't tried it. Yours looks amazing.
Posted by Clay | February 28, 2008 8:05 AM
Looks real good but for me pizza is just one of those things that is better to go out for. Also on this list of things best not made in the home kitchen are sushi and espresso coffee drinks.
Posted by Joseph | February 28, 2008 8:20 AM
I tend to have the idea that pizza dough is more complicated than it really is. It's nice to be reminded of its (relative) simplicity.
And onions and gorgonzola? Mmm.
Posted by Adele | February 28, 2008 9:47 AM
Mmmm looks good, kind of like focaccia.
Posted by Angeline | February 28, 2008 10:48 AM
This is great-I was searching around for a veggie pizza option this weekend-looks like I just found it!
Posted by Andrew | February 28, 2008 11:14 AM
that camera seems to be working out quite well for you! nice work
Posted by Shelby | February 28, 2008 11:44 AM
Making pizza is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. In case you're ever working with a smaller time frame but have the craving, I've got a good neighborhood tip (though you might already know this): Smiling Pizza sells their dough for like 3 bucks a pop. It's all ready to go so they recommend using it within an hour or so, and it's enough for two pizzas (leftovers!). When you ask for it, the old guy behind the counter will probably make his favorite joke: 'Is that for here or to go?'
Posted by Lauren | February 28, 2008 12:39 PM
I can vouch for Mario Batali's pizza dough recipe. It's fantastic. Something about the honey and white wine make the crust impossibly perfect; it's softly pliable and never sticky. Try it: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_10366,00.html
Posted by Shirlie | February 28, 2008 12:48 PM
Wow Adam, great job! I loved caramelized onions on anything, on a pizza with gorgonzola they would be outstanding.
BTW, here's a trick, if you let the pizza dough relax a bit as you stretch it out, you can get it thinner. Stretch it out once, then let it sit for several minutes and stretch it some more.
Yummmmmm.....
Posted by Elise | February 29, 2008 4:09 AM
This looks fantastic! I recently made a pizza topped with carmelized onions, Gorgonzola and pear for some Argentinian friends of ours-they loved it and said they had never tasted anything like it. I can't wait to try this dough recipe, though-I feel like my dough is always hit-or-miss and I'd love a simple, reliable recipe! Thanks!
Posted by Rebecca | February 29, 2008 11:45 AM
Thanks so much for posting this - it looks wonderful, and I can't wait to try it! My pizza dough recipe is also a hit or miss kind of thing.
Posted by The Java Junkie | February 29, 2008 2:34 PM
Why shouldn't I have this pizza for dinner tonight?
I have everything in the pantry to make it and a bottle of wine to drink with it, too.
Off to the kneading board I go!
Posted by Karen | February 29, 2008 5:14 PM
I am so behind; I just stumbled on this website for the first time! Can't wait to read past blogs, and you were in atlanta for a while too! Can't wait to read you opinions of where to go. Great pizza, makes my South Beach meal look depressing :)
Posted by Jeff | February 29, 2008 8:52 PM
great post, this looks freakin' great. Oh, and by the way - love this site. a pleasure to read, a pleasure to visit.
Posted by Leigh | March 9, 2008 4:01 PM
great post, this looks freakin' great. Oh, and by the way - love this site. a pleasure to read, a pleasure to visit.
Posted by Leigh | March 9, 2008 4:02 PM
This was fantastic; a whole crowd a made it for loved it. I will be making this one again.
Posted by Deb | March 30, 2008 10:14 AM