Caramelized Onion Pizza with Roasted Cauliflower and Red Peppers

We’ve been enjoying onions from the garden every single day. I’ve already used 3 bags. It actually makes me laugh, you must be thinking that I’m crazy : onions, potatoes garlic… and then I switch to decorated cookies and cakes… I know, but truth is I love it all. Sweet and Savory. I would never put onion into a cake but I’d make a cake look like an onion, or maybe a cookie would be easier. So you see they are connected, sort of. I’ll stop these morning ramblings and get to the point.

Let’s make some pizzas. I’ve made pizza dough many times, trying different variations. I’ve made it on the gas grill, on charcoal grill, in the gas oven in the electric oven. I don’t know what else is to try. Oh yes, brick oven pizza. You can kind of imitate that, too. (until I get my own brick oven ;-))I preheat my baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven before putting pizzas in. It makes for a great crispy crust.

This recipe I’ve made 5 times so far, it is great. I love the way it handles. In the past I’ve made the mistake of making the pizzas too thin, though I’m not huge on deep dish pizza I like a little bit of a bite. So here it is, along with my new Cooking Video.

Our onions, stored in the storage shed.

Caramelized Onion Pizza with Roasted Cauliflower and Red Roasted Peppers (makes 4)

Caramelized Onion Pizza Dough
1cup finely diced yellow onion (optional, omit if you don’t want to use onions)
1tbl olive oil
1cup warm water
1/3 cup warm milk
1/2tbl honey
2tbl olive oil or vegetable oil
2 1/2tsp dry yeast
4cups all purpose flour
1/2 tbl kosher salt

Toppings
2tbl olive oil
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
3 to 4 cups fresh cauliflower, broken into small florets, or sliced
3 red roasted Bell Peppers, skin removed, sliced into strips(How to Roast Peppers and Remove Skin)
8 to 10 rounds of ham, I used turkey ham, sliced into thick strips
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2tsp fresh ground nutmeg
fresh pepper, kosher salt

Heat one tbl olive oil in a skillet, add diced onions, stir, sautee until golden, caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl stir together warm water, milk and honey. Whisk in yeast, let sit for 2 minutes then stir in 2tbl oil.
Measure flour into the bowl of your stand mixer, add salt and stir to combine.
Make a well in the center and pour yeast mixture into the flour. Add caramelized onion.
Using a hook attachment knead the dough until it comes together.
Remove from the bowl, dust work surface with a little bit of flour, knead for several minutes until it forms a ball.
Oil or spray with non stick spray one large clean bowl. Place the dough inside. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
Let rise at warm spot for 1 1/2 hours until doubled in volume.
After dough has risen you are now ready to make pizzas.

Make Pizzas (makes 4)

Invert risen dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide in 2 sections.
Knead each section to form a ball.
Flatten each ball using your hand, tips of you fingers, about 1/2 inch thick or so.
Place each round on a piece of parchment paper that you brushed with oil.
Brush each pizza with little bit of oil, sprinkle dry basil all over.
In a bowl stir together cauliflower and Parmesan cheese, season with salt and fresh pepper
Layer toppings, starting with ham sliced, red pepper slices.
Distribute cauliflower cheese mixture evenly among the pizzas.
Sprinkle mozzarella on each pizza.
Let rise for 20 minutes.
While pizza is rising, preheat the oven to 425F, into the oven also put one large baking sheet, heat the sheet while oven is preheating, I you have cast iron pans or pizza stone use it.
Once the oven is preheated remove the hot baking sheet and transfer pizza onto the sheet. Be careful to handle baking sheet it will be hot! You should be able to fit 2 pizza per sheet.
Bake pizzas for 20- 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is all melted.
Remove from the oven, transfer pizzas on plate and transfer unbaked pizzas onto the baking sheet and bake off the remaining pizzas.