Caramelized Onion and Apple Grilled Pizza
I need to be reintroduced to my fall wardrobe. It is amazing how quickly things go from bare legs to tights, but in my brain that was an eternity ago. I’ve been struggling with what to wear to the point that I’ve even been donning a coat from my pregnant days. I swear it doesn’t look maternity as long as it’s not zipped! In my limited online shopping, I haven’t come across a replacement for THE coat yet.
Over the weekend I threw on my trusty jacket before I headed out to the grill armed with a flashlight. I made a caramelized onion and apple grilled pizza with blue cheese and walnuts. A little bit salty and sweet, each slice had the smoky grilled flavor of summer along with the comfort of autumn. I am thinking this year I will bundle up at the grill more often, but check back with me in February.
Caramelized Onion and Apple Grilled Pizza
Makes 1 large pizza
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil plus more for bowl and pizza
1-1/2 cups bread flour plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon minced chives
In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and process until a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours..
For the caramelized onions, place 1 teaspoon olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for an additional 30 minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. If the onions start to burn, lower the heat and add a tablespoon of water.
Heat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pizza dough into a rough circle 12-inch diameter circle.
Place the dough directly on the grates and grill for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed until the crust has grill marks and has puffed up. Turn over the crust and grill for an additional 2 -3 minutes.
Remove the crust from the grill and flip it over so the first side that was grilled is facing down. Drizzle with olive oil and arrange the apples, onions, scallions, walnuts, mozzarella and blue cheese on top leaving a 1/2-inch border. Return the pizza to the grill and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chives before serving.
