What you put on your pizza is just as important as how much. It’s about quality, not quantity. Don’t go crazy and overload pizza with a jumble of toppings. Think about balance and a few well-chosen ingredients that work together. The Caponata (page 70) and the sugo (page 111) are delicious spread on pizza with a few cubes of mozzarella, for example. Here earthy mushrooms matched with fragrant thyme and sweet caramelized onions pack this rustic pizza with major punch. Gruyère’s robust and savory flavor profile knocks this no-sauce pizza off the charts. When it comes to pizza, this one delivers.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 10-inch pizza

　　1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (3 cups)

　　1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

　　One 6-ounce ball Pizza Dough (page 232)

　　All-purpose flour, for dusting

　　1/4 pound Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

　　Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　White truffle oil, for drizzling (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put a pizza stone or a baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat it along with the oven for at least 20 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Put a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is a deep golden brown and begins to caramelize, roughly 10 minutes. At that point, add the mushrooms and thyme; season again with salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

　　

Step 3

To prepare the pizza, dip the ball of dough into a little flour, shake off the excess, and set on a clean, lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough with your hands, turning the ball as you press down the center. Continue spreading the dough into a 10-inch circle with either your hands or a rolling pin. Leave the dough slightly thick so the topping does not seep through.

　　

Step 4

Dust a pizza paddle (if you don’t have a paddle you can use a rimless cookie sheet as a substitute) with fl our and slide it under the dough; it’s easiest to top the pizza with the dough already on the paddle. Lightly brush the outer edge of the dough with oil to create a sheen on the surface of the crust. An important tip: take care not to get any oil on the pizza paddle or pan, or else when you try to slide the dough off , it will stick.

　　

Step 5

Spread the cheese evenly on the pizza, leaving about a 1/4-inch border. Distribute the caramelized onion and mushrooms evenly over the cheese.

　　

Step 6

Slide the prepared pizza onto the hot baking stone and bake until the crust is nicely browned, roughly 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Shower with chopped parsley and drizzle with a little truffle oil, if desired. Cut into slices with a pizza cutter.

　　Michael's Genuine Food