Let me tell you about this pizza.
A few weeks ago, my cousin Lacy walked into our house with this pizza. It arrived during a full-on hangry moment for my husband; when he realized one pizza wouldn’t satisfy him, he left for a burger.
I was secretly delighted. The two of us ended up with the whole pie, and oh my word—this pizza was incredible. I think I ate four thin slices and then dreamed about it for days. Thin slices, whole wheat crust—totally balanced, right?
No joke: this pizza haunted me. It was the perfect blend of sweet and salty, and I couldn’t move on until I recreated it at home.
I used my favorite whole wheat crust recipe and baked this on a pizza stone. The flavor relies on just a few main ingredients—onions, gruyere, peppered bacon, and the crust—but the result is ridiculously good. The onions caramelize for about an hour, which is worth the patience for the depth of flavor.
Normally I like to load my pizzas with all sorts of toppings, but this one’s an exception. Keep it simple and use plenty of bacon for the best results.
Caramelized Onion, Gruyere + Pepper Bacon Whole Wheat Pizza
Yield:
2
to 4
2
to 4
Total Time:
2 hrs
2 hrs
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Pin Recipe
No ratings yet
Leave a Review »
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/8 cups warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pizza
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 12 ounces gruyere cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt, stirring until the dough starts to come together but remains sticky. Form into a ball and work in the remaining 2/3 cup flour on a floured surface, kneading a few minutes. Rub the bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside turning to coat, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low and add the bacon. Cook until some fat renders and the bacon is slightly cooked; it will finish in the oven. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels and sprinkle with the pepper. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet, reduce heat to low and add the butter. Add the onions with the salt, toss to coat, cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and cook 15 more minutes, then add the garlic. Remove from heat and transfer the onions to a bowl.
- After the dough has risen, punch it down and place on a floured surface. Shape into your desired form with a rolling pin or hands (this dough can make one large pizza to feed 3–4, or two smaller ones). Place on a baking sheet or pizza peel, cover with a towel and let sit 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (or follow your pizza stone/skillet method instructions). Add half the cheese to the dough, spread the caramelized onions over it, then scatter the bacon and top with the remaining cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Remove and serve.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?
Share your photo and tag the recipe if you’d like—your feedback is appreciated.
Get this done.