Potato, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Pizza

I love pizza. It was one of the foods I missed most while on my crazy elimination diet. We rarely order pizza because it's expensive and homemade tastes better! A while back I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade pizza dough on Annie's Eats and I haven't looked back! It's easy to make and tastes so good! It's versatile- You can add whatever spices to the dough that you like. You can use it for calzones, too. This recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas, so I always wrap the extra in plastic wrap, put it in a Ziplock and stick it in the freezer.

Our favorite pizza at the moment is this potato, bacon, and onion one. I love that it isn't like traditional pizzas with a ton of tomato sauce. Don't get me wrong- those are good, too. But there's something about the caramelized onions and potatoes that takes the pizza to the next level.

Ingredients:

For the pizza dough:

½ cup warm water
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
4 cups bread flour
1½ tsp. salt
1¼ cup water, at room temperature
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the warm water and yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix bread flour and salt. Add the room temperature water and olive oil to the warm water and yeast mixture. With the mixer on low, add the yeast mixture. After the dough is just combined, switch to the dough hook. Mix until a smooth dough is formed- about 5 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl, coated with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1.5-2 hours.

**Probably the most important pizza crust tip: Preheat your pizza stone! Set the oven to 500* and let the stone warm up for at least 20 minutes! It makes the bottom crispy!

For the Pizza:

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, sliced thin
3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes (I used my mandolin)
5 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-1 1/2 cups of mozzarella, shredded (always buy fresh cheese, if possible, and shred it yourself!)
2-3 green onions
sour cream, for drizzling
olive oil
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400*.

Place thinly sliced potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are almost all the way done. Once the potatoes are done, up the temperature to 500*.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a pan (or use your bacon grease!). Add onions and a pinch of sugar. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are a golden brown.

Roll pizza dough out (cornmeal helps the dough not to slide!). Place an even layer of the cheese on the crust, then add a layer of potatoes, onions, and bacon. Add another layer of cheese to the top, if desired.

Bake at 500* for 10-15 minutes. Once out of the oven, drizzle with sour cream and top with chopped green onions.