I know, I know. It’s been forever since I posted last. It turns out that there’s a lot of homework for culinary school!
But I promised you the recipe for this pizza, and I really think you’ll love it. I made it one night after coming home from the bar and decided that it had to be made again as quickly as possible and documented.
Before I get too distracted waxing on about the awesomeness of this pizza, I’ll tell you a little bit about what I’ve been up to (so maybe you’ll forgive me for not posting).
First of all, I attended the Rally to Restore Sanity. Even though we couldn’t see the screens or hear John Stewart very well, we had a great time people watching and reading the signs everyone was carrying. It was a great experience, and I think it made a big impression on me since John Stewart showed up in most of my dreams later that week.
Second, I was recently hired by a cupcake place that’s opening a few new stores in D.C. I’m very excited about starting work and meeting new people, but I’m especially excited because I get to attend the Capitol Food Fight. You might notice that the co-host is someone whose last name starts with a B and ends with -ourdain. I should also let you know that as a participant, I’m invited to the after party, and my only goal if I end up meeting him is to not barf up all the free cupcakes I might’ve consumed.
But enough about dreamy fake journalists and ex-drug addict celebrity chefs. This pizza is great. Although it may sound a little strange, all of the ingredients are familiar and comforting. The apples are soft and sweet, the bacon is crunchy and salty and the cheddar cheese covers them like a creamy rich blanket. Mmmmmm.
I really hope you try this. You could put this combo on any type of bread. Like apple bacon cheddar bruschetta or – OH MY GOODNESS – apple bacon cheddar biscuits for brunch!
Apple Bacon Cheddar Pizza
Note: I still haven’t gotten the hang of my oven yet. I can’t seem to get things to brown the same on the top and bottom. So my temperature and time are suggestions. My goal when cooking pizza is fast and hot. In reality with my oven, I have to watch it carefully and often move it up or down depending on which side is browning too quickly.
Pizza Dough
adapted from How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings
8 slices of bacon
4 small-medium apples (not too tart, and not too mushy, I used a Sunscrisp variety), cored and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or as much or as little as you want)
- Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the water and olive oil through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water if needed, a little at a time, until the dough forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes to form a smooth round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
- When the dough is ready, gently punch it down and divide it into 2 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and let them rest on a baking sheet covered with a damp dishcloth or plastic wrap for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450-500° F (see note above).
- While the dough is resting, cook the bacon in a cast iron skillet if you have one. Remove when it is cooked how you like it. I prefer it pretty crispy for this recipe. When the bacon is cooled, chop or crumble it up. Drain off some of the bacon fat; you want about 1-2 tablespoons left in the pan. Add the chopped apples and cook over medium-high heat so they brown before they become too mushy. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- When apples are done, roll the dough balls out pretty thin, about 1/8-1/4 inch. Place them on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Top with half the apples, then half the bacon, and half the cheddar cheese. If you have to baking sheets, you can go ahead and prepare the other pizza. Otherwise, cook the first one and make the other one when it comes out.
- Bake for 7-15 minutes (see note above), until the cheese is melty and the crust is golden brown.
