Five-Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Truffle Oil
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough, at room temperature
- Flour for rolling out the dough
- Cornmeal for dusting
- 12 ounces fresh ricotta
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 4 ounces ricotta salata, cut into ½-inch dice
- ½ cup grated Asiago
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white truffle oil (optional)
Instructions:
Caramelized onions offer a nice counterpoint to the richness of the cheese. An optional drizzle of truffle oil adds a final luxurious touch.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, caramelized, and sweet, 30 to 40 minutes. Do not let them cook too fast, or they’ll dry out and burn rather than caramelize; add a little water if they look too dry. Let them cool before using.
- As the onions draw close to finishing, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into balls. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Using plenty of flour, roll a dough ball into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Push the crust together to thicken it slightly around the edge for a rim. Or, if you want to use your hands instead of a rolling pin, first press the ball flat with your palm. Starting at the center of the disk, use your fingertips to stretch the dough, working outward; try to maintain an even thickness as you work. Leave the dough a little thicker around the edge to form a rim.
- Transfer the circle to a peel or a sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Dimple the dough with your fingertips so it doesn’t puff up during baking. Brush 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over the dough or rub it on with your fingertips, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
- Season the fresh ricotta with salt and pepper. Spread one-quarter of the ricotta over the dough, leaving the border uncovered. Top with one-quarter each of the onions and oregano. Distribute one-quarter of each of the remaining 4 cheeses over the dough.
- Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is crispy, the topping bubbly and brown. While the first pizza is baking, prepare the second.
- Remove the pizza from the oven with the peel, or slide it onto a sheet pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Place the second pizza in the oven. Cut the finished pizza into 4 slices, place on a plate, drizzle with truffle oil, if using, and serve. Start working on the third pizza, and repeat the process until you’ve finished all 4 pizzas.