French-Italian Fusion Pizza

 

Pizza Dough:

1 tablespoon active yeast

pinch of sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

Garlic Cream Sauce:

1/2 cup white wine

1 shallot, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings:

5oz. pancetta, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 sweet onions, diced

1 cup fontina cheese, grated

To prepare the dough, combine the yeast, sugar and water in a bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until yeast has dissolved. Let stand until the  mixture is creamy and foamy. Add oil, garlic, and 1 cup flour, and mix to form a soft dough. Add the remaining 2 cups flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the salt and mix on low until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough onto a well floured surface and knead to form a smooth ball. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, place dough in bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, to prepare the cream sauce, combine the wine, shallot and garlic in saucepan over high heat and reduce until about 1/4 cup liquid remains. Add cream and cook over medium heat until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Let sauce cool to room temperature until ready to assemble the pizza.

To prepare the toppings, heat large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add pancetta and cook until very crispy. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towels. Add the olive oil and onions to the pancetta drippings and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until brown and caramelized. Do not allow to burn. Let onions cool to room temperature.

To assemble the pizza, set a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the dough in half. On a well floured surface , roll half the dough into a 12 inch circle. Place the dough on a pizza peel. Gently spread half the cream sauce over the dough, then top with half the caramelized onions, and pancetta. Sprinkle with half the grated fontina cheese. Repeat with remaining dough. Carefully slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes or until  crust is golden brown.

Serve warm.