Friday, April 16, 2010

Spinach, Caramelized Onion, and Bacon Pizza

This is one of those recipes where I started with the recipe and kind of went my own way.

I'm not really a fan of white sauce so I'm not sure why I picked it out. Anyway D and I thought the sauce was missing something (like being red). Yes! I go to restaurants and order red sauce on white pizza. So again not sure why...

But overall it was good. A bit of work though. We each had 2 servings.

Spinach, Caramelized Onion, and Bacon Pizza

You might never guess that this gourmet pizza is fiscally modest. Its cooking techniques render it rich: A tender homemade crust is topped with a garlic-enhanced white sauce, which is then embellished with fresh sautéed spinach, caramelized onions, bacon, and Parmesan.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Dough: (I used a Boboli)
1 cup bread flour, divided
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 teaspoon sugar1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Topping:
4 bacon slices, chopped (I used 6)
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach (I misread and used frozen...only needed half)
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) sliced onion
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I had to use some Gruyere to get to a cup...only had 3/4C of Parm)

(I used Boboli).To prepare dough, lightly spoon the bread flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup bread flour, warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and yeast, stirring with a whisk. Let stand 15 minutes.
Lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup bread flour, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Make a well in center of mixture. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture; stir well. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85º), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 20 minutes.

To prepare topping, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Set bacon aside. Add spinach to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes or until wilted. Place spinach in a colander, pressing until barely moist. Add onion and 2 teaspoons sugar to pan; cook 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool.

(Preheat 450 if using a Boboli).

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 3 tablespoons flour and pepper, stirring with a whisk; cook 30 seconds. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. (This will get very lumpy...add the flour to the milk and then add).

Preheat oven to 475º.

Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray adn sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. (Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and plop down the Boboli). Spread milk mixture evenly over dough; top with spinach and onion.

Bake at 475° for 20 minutes (Boboli is 5 minutes at 450). Sprinkle evenly with bacon and cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown (3 minutes for Boboli). Cut pizza into 8 wedges.

CALORIES 529 (29% from fat); FAT 17.3g (sat 9.3g,mono 5.9g,poly 1g); IRON 6.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 39mg; CALCIUM 503mg; CARBOHYDRATE 71.4g; SODIUM 981mg; PROTEIN 26g; FIBER 4.4g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2003

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