Ingredients
Store-bought fresh pizza dough or home-made pizza dough
For home-made pizza dough
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 package traditional [Fieischmann's] dry yeast (8 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
For topping
1/2 cup olive oil, divided into two parts
4 medium-sized yellow onions, sliced
4 red peppers, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon hot red chilies (optional)
Equipment needed
Rectangular or round pizza baking pan, well-oiled
Directions
Store-bought pizza dough
Keep the dough in extra large clear plastic bag, tie with twists; place in a container with a lid.
Let the dough rest in a warm room until it doubles in volume (about 4 to 6 hours).
To make home-made pizza dough:
Add sugar to lukewarm water.
Add yeast to lukewarm water, and stir.
Let the water-sugar-yeast rest for about 6 minutes -- if bubbles form and the mixture increases in volume then the yeast is in good condition and ready to be used.
Add olive oil to the proofed yeast.
In a separate bowl mix the flour and salt together.
Add the olive oil and proofed yeast mixture to the salt and flour mixture. Mix well.
Work into a malleable soft dough, kneading for about 8 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball.
Place the dough ball in a very large clear plastic bag and tie it with a twist (Should have ample room to double in volume).
Put the dough in a bowl and cover.
Let the dough rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume -- about 4 to 6 hours.
To make the topping:
Slice the onions. Place in a bowl.
Slice the peppers and place in another bowl (Processing the onions and peppers separately will help retain their individual flavors).
Heat up 1/4 cup olive oil and fry the onions until they are golden (but not browned). Drain excess oil.
In a separate frying pan heat up 1/4 cup olive oil and fry the peppers until soft but not browned. Drain excess oil.
When the dough has doubled in volume, remove from its container.
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.
Flour a pastry board.
Using a floured pastry roller, roll out the dough to fit a pizza container (One can also stretch out the dough to fit the pan as do professional pizza makers, but this requires a great deal of skill).
Place the dough on a well-oiled pizza baking pan.
Top the dough first with the fried onions, and then with red and yellow onions, making a decorative pattern. Brush the edges of the pizza dough (that don't have any topping) with olive oil.
Bake in a preheated 425 F degrees oven until the crust is golden brown -- about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the type of pizza pan used.
Serve warm.
Notes
My favorite Montreal Italian pastry shop, "Italia, La Casa della Pizza," at 5540 Jean Talon Est, sells pizza topped with onions, red and yellow peppers. I am not privy to their recipe, but this is my take on it. One can reduce the cost substantially by using green peppers instead of red or yellow ones, but I won't recommend it, as the taste will be compromised. What makes this pizza special is its sweet flavor which is generated by the use of red peppers and the mild onions which are caramelized in the oven. Also, I recommend a rectangular pan for this style of pizza -- the light-colored aluminum pans sold in Middle Eastern shops seem to be quite good for pizza making. Photo: Mary Melfi. |
