What to do on a Friday Night

I love pizza! Who doesn't, right? I don't eat it that often, it isn't exactly health food. But I do try and make it at home for the kids and I do try and make it a bit healthier than the standard take out version. Although sometimes the only thing that will do is that thick crusted, greasy, cheesy, lots of sauce, pepperoni and black olive that we get from our local pizzeria....and then I remember how I feel after I eat it... not so good. But I digress.

I try and make it a bit healthier than that last one I described. Turkey pepperoni, light on the cheese, lots of veggies. One of my favorite pizza toppings is caramelized onions. Cut up two onions. Saute in a bit of olive oil over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown. You can also add a bit of sugar to kick up that sweetness a little (just a pinch). And if the onions start to stick to the pan while they are cooking just sprinkle in a bit of water. You might want to make extra because they are great on sandwiches and in salads too.
But this last pizza I made came from the things that were in my fridge, and it was delicious!

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, Green Olive, Brie Pizza With Cornmeal crust

This pizza has a lovely salty, sweet flavor to it. But you can also do it with just the caramelized onion, bacon, and Parmesan cheese for a little lighter version.

For the Dough

The cornmeal dough is adapted from Julia Child's, The Way To Cook. It is a very easy dough to make and makes a nice thin crispy, delicious tasting crust. makes enough for two large size pizzas.

1 package instant yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
4 Tablespoons good olive oil

In large bowl mix together yeast, sugar, flour, cornmeal and salt . Add milk, water and olive oil and mix until combined. Dough will be fairly wet and sticky.
Place ball of dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 90 minutes, punching down once.

Toppings

Just use as little or as much as you want to suit your tastes.

good olive oil
Brie cheese, sliced
caramelized onions
bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces and cooked until crisp (about 4-5 slices)
green olives, sliced
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roll pizza dough on lightly floured baking pans or pizza stones. Brush dough with olive oil. Top with brie, green olives, bacon, caramelized onions, and grated Parmesans cheese. Sprinkle with more olive oil.
Bake in bottom rack of oven for 15-20 minutes.
Serve on your finest china, on the couch, in front of your latest Netflix! Enjoy!