Fontina, Fennel, and Onion Pizza

Fennel from csa box.

Comments: I changed up this recipe that is originally from Martha Stewart. I used a mixture of whole wheat and white flours, doubled the recipe and mixed up the toppings on our pizzas. All in all, I loved that I could make the dough and the onion/fennel earlier in the day and just had to put them together at dinnertime. Also, we did not grill the pizzas as recommended, although it would be even yummier if we had. We used a pizza stone in the oven. I preferred our second pizza, as the original recipe was a bit to bland for my liking. The carmelized onions and fennel were yummy and sweet, but it need a punch of something. I added in the sundried tomatoes but still not enough punch.

Verdict: *****

Fontina, Fennel, and Onion Pizza


Ingredients

Makes 2 18-inch pizzas

2 teaspoon sugar
2 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and brushing
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces shredded fontina
fennel fronds
extra-virgin olive oil
Sundried tomatoes (not oil packed)
Pepperoni
Sliced olives
Favorite pizza sauce


Directions

Step 1: Pizza Dough

• Pour 1 cup warm water into a medium bowl; add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 minutes.
• Whisk oil and 1 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until liquid is incorporated (dough will appear dry). 
• Turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together in an elastic ball, 2 minutes. 
• Transfer to an oiled medium bowl; brush lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, 45 minutes. Punch down dough and cover; let rise another 30 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces. (To store, refrigerate dough pieces, covered, up to 2 days, or freeze, up to 1 month.) Let rest 15 minutes before using.

Step 2: Caramelized Fennel and Onions

• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Add fennel and onion, and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. 
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes. 
• Uncover, add 1 tablespoon water, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and soft, 2 minutes. (To store, refrigerate, up to 3 days.)

Step 3: Make the Pizza

• Heat oven and pizza stone to 425 degrees. Stretch 1/2 dough into long oval or other desired shape. Sprinkle stone with corn meal (if desired) and then place formed crust onto stone. Brush lightly with olive oil. 
• Bake for 5-8 minutes until starting to brown. Add desired toppings. We used fontina, caramelized onions/fennel mixture, fennel fronds and sundried tomatoes on our first pizza. On our second pizza, we put a light coating of sauce, fontina, caramelized onions/fennel, fennel fronds, and mini pepperoni. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until done. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.