Fall Harvest Pizza Recipe

Fall Harvest Pizza Recipe

• 1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 y ½ cups white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 to 4 tbsp olive oil, and 1 or 2 tbps. more to roll the dough or as needed
• 1 tsp salt

• 1 carrot, cut in rounds
• 1 cup cubed squash
• 1 eggplant cubed
• 1 red onion cut in wedges
• 1 red bell pepper in julienne
• 3 tbsp honey
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus 1 tbsp more to finish
• Salt and black pepper
• 6 oz. grated mozzarella, goat cheese or blue cheese
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 4 tbsp roughly chopped almonds
• 1 bunch baby spinach leaves

1. Mix the dry yeast with the sugar and the water in a big bowl, then add the flour. Pour 4 tbsp of olive oil and start making the dough with your hands, adding more olive oil if needed. You will get a dough that is sticky but is easily formed into a ball.
2. When you get a ball (after about 5 minutes of mixing) transfer it to ziplock plastic bag and leave it to rise in a warm place of the kitchen for an hour.
3. Prepare the topping: Mix the carrot, the cubed squash, the eggplant, the onion and the red bell pepper with the honey, the cumin powder, and the olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Toss to coat and place on baking sheet at 350 F until golden. Reserve.
4. When the dough is leavened, place it on a pizza pan. Moisten your fingers with olive oil and roll out with your hands, into 1 pizza rectangle or 4 small pizzetes. Paint it with more olive oil and cook at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.
5. Take it off the oven, top with your fall harvest vegetables, the bacon, and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella (or blue or goat cheese). Take to the oven for another 4 minutes until the cheese is melted. Top with oregano, thyme, the lemon and orange zest, the sesame seeds and the roughly chopped almonds, and finish with baby spinach leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.