Blake Makes

Last year we took a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit our friend Norisha and we had a delicious meal at Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown. I loved the egg they added to the pizza midway through cooking because it added a creamy richness to the pie. Tonight, Blake has a late dinner meeting, so I decided to stay home, watch a girly movie and make a pizza that reminded me of our trip to D.C.

We had an unopened package of turkey bacon and leftover smoked mozzarella, so I decided to make a bacon, egg and cheese pizza. This took me almost no time to make and it turned out so well. Blake ended up eating half before his night out and declared it incredibly delicious!

My only regret was that I only used one egg; next time I’d use two so each half would be covered in delicious, sunny yolkiness (as seen below!). Now, I’m off to watch Nancy Drew!

Ingredients:

• Ready-made pizza crust (I like Boboli because it’s cheap, keeps awhile in the pantry and tastes good.)
• Marinara sauce
• Mozzarella (I used a combo of leftover bagged cheese and deli smoked mozzarella- the smoked cheese added tons of flavor, so I would definitely mix this in again.)
• 3 strips bacon
• Handful chopped Fresh flat-leaf parsely
• Salt and pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Cook bacon, crumble and put to the side.
• Spread thin layer of marinara over crust, and add a few handfuls of mozzarella. Bake pizza on the rack for about 4 minutes.
• Pull out oven rack, and make sure it’s level. Crack egg in center of pizza and add a little salt to yolk. Push over rack back in, turn on broiler and bake for an additional 5-6 minutes, until yolk has thickened but is not hard (sunny-side up).
• Add bacon, parsely, grated Parmesan and black pepper to taste.

Pizza’s something we eat a lot in our house. We usually just buy a pizza crust and top it with our favorites, but then I learned how to make homemade pizza dough.

First off, I have to say that I’m a stickler for light; specifically, the sunlight I use to capture really great images for the blog. I made this pizza at night, so I had to use the light in my kitchen. Please forgive the sub-par pizza pic.

This wasn’t the first time I made this dough, but it was the first time I used large, freshly sliced pepperoni. We were in Whole Foods, and I was buying turkey for sandwiches that week when I spotted the large stick of pepperoni laying in the case. You know how the mind works, a lot of things can come together all at once, and that’s exactly what happened here.

Pepperoni, newly acquired pizza dough recipe, jarred marinara, banana peppers. The birth of a recipe.

We typically buy very processed turkey pepperoni, but never again. The real, fresh thing is entirely better. To let my inner-hick speak, “It’s restaurant quality.”

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I love all the food pics I take for Blake Makes, but every now and then, some of the food really strikes a pose. Last night’s dinner looked so good in front of the camera, we’re in talks with Vogue for next month’s cover. We made Caramelized Onion Pizza. It was spectacular. The onions cooked down to dark, sweet goodness for about an hour, and I made the pizza crust from scratch.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1/4 oz. yeast packet
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tblsp. flour
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup flour

For the topping:

• 1 red onion
• 1/4 balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups baby arugala
• 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• S&P

To Make: The Crust

Mix the yeast, 1/4 cup warm water and 1 tblsp. flour in a small bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes (small bubbles will appear on the surface; when it smells “yeasty,” it’s ready).

In a large bowl, sift in 1 1/4 cup of flour and salt. Next, add the olive oil, 1/2 cup warm water and the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Sift in the last 1/2 cup of flour, and stir until a ball forms in the bowl and the sides of the bowl are clean.

Turn the dough out on a dry board (counter-top), and flour your hands. Knead the dough until it’s springy and smooth. Dust a plate with flour. Place the dough ball on the plate, then heavily dust the top of the dough ball with flour. Cover with a floured cloth and place in a warm spot to rise for about an hour-and-a-half.

To Make: The Topping

Slice the red onion and cook over very low heat (they will become very pale pink). After about an hour, add the balsamic vinegar and reduce for 15-20 minutes (the onions will darken and look syrupy). Next, add in the arugala and thyme to wilt slightly.

Bring the dough out from under the cloth, and press it onto a sheet pan using your finger tips (you’ll feel the air inside, so try to preserve that fluffy consistency). Shape it into a rectangle like the Romans do. Add the onion mixture on top, and crumble over the goat cheese. Drizzle on some olive oil, and S&P to taste.

Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes (or until it’s golden and delicious).

On The Plate:

This is one for the future cookbook, or restaurant. Definitely company food. It was so good because it was so simple and elegant. Yes, it took some time to make, but I love being in my kitchen with my hands and mind in the food. Making this was the best two hours of my day.

The next time I make it, I’m going add some crispy Pancetta pieces. It will play really well with the sweet onions, bitter arugala and creamy goat cheese.

Variety is the spice of life. This pizza has it all.