Crispy Pizza with Caramelized Onions

There’s nothing like making homemade pizza to really test your cooking skills. You either feel like you are in Italy muttering “Mamma Mia!” to yourself or wondering why you didn’t pick up the phone to have it delivered. My pizza-making experiences have dotted both camps and this recipe straddled the line. I wanted to get fancy and try Crispy Pizza with Caramelized Onions from The Minimalist Kitchen cookbook by Melissa Coleman of Faux Martha. 

Verdict: it was delicious yet time consuming. If you have the time and the patience, you will love it. We upped the ante a bit by putting bacon on the second pizza. Yum!

Crispy Pizza with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

Caramelized onions

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Cream sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 spring of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

Crust

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast 
• 1 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere
• Olive oil
• Fresh rosemary
• Crushed red pepper

Instructions

1. Caramelize the onions. In a large skillet on the lowest heat, add the oil and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the salt. Cook for 50 minutes total, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Once the onions have browned, deglaze the pan with vinegar and stir to coat. 
2. Make the cream sauce. In a liquid measuring cup, measure the cream and stock. Set aside. 
3. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Pour in half of the cream mixture, and whisk to combine. Pour in the remaining cream mixture, and whisk again to combine. Turn the heat to low, and add the salt and rosemary. Cook for 3 minutes more, whisking every so often or until sauce resembles a loose gravy. Set aside. This can be made a couple days in advance and reheated for easy spreading. 
4. Make the crust. Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat to 500F. 
5. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the water. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture; stir together until evenly combined. Knead for 1 to 2 minutes in the bowl or on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Cut the dough in half and form into two balls. Cover the plastic wrap or spray the dough with water and cover with a towel to keep from drying out. 
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough ball until 1/8-inch thick. If the crust sticks in any parts, add a bit more flour. Place the crust on an unlined baking sheet. Using a fork, prick the crust a couple of times to keep it from puffing while baking. Partially bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove, and add a thin layer of cream sauce and top with half the cheese and half the caramelized onions. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more. Garnish with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of fresh rosemary. Serve with crushed red pepper. Repeat assembly to make the second pizza.