Caramelised Onion and Mushroom Pizza
So full of flavour you don't even miss the cheese. This is a mushroom lovers dream and easily one of my favourite pizzas.
Makes 2 family sized pizzas
What you need
For the pizza base
1 cup (250ml) warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
2 1/2 cups (about 300g) flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
For the topping
6 large field mushrooms
2 large oyster mushrooms
15 swiss brown mushrooms
Handful of enoki mushrooms
A splash of red wine (whatever you have laying about the house)
A few tablespoons tomato jam (from vegetable galette recipe)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large red onions, sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Tomato paste
Garlic, minced
Olive oil
Sea salt
Polenta
What to do
To make the pizza base combine water and yeast with about a third of the flour and let sit until it bubbles. About 30 mins. Then combine the rest of the flour and salt in a dough mixer and mix together. The dough should be quite soft and sticky. Let rest in an oiled bowl, covered, until doubled in size.
Pre-heat oven as hot as it will go. Mine goes to 250˚C.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frypan over low heat. Add the onions and a good pinch of salt and cook very slowly for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Don't be tempted to turn the heat up, as you don't want the onions to burn. When onions are softened and tinged golden, add sugar and balsamic and cook over low heat for a further 5 -10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sticky and caramelised.
Now, sauté the mushrooms in a large fry pan over med-high to high heat, add the oil and allow it to heat for a few moments, then place a layer of sliced mushrooms on the bottom of the pan and allow to cook until the mushrooms are browned. Then add a splash of wine and about a teaspoon on minced garlic, give it a bit of a stir, and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. It’s best to do this in batches as the mushrooms brown better this way.
Once you’ve prepared your onions and mushrooms you can assemble your pizza. Start by dividing your dough into four equal portions if you want smaller pizzas, or in half if you want to make two good family sized pizzas. Then sprinkle your pizza pan with a bit of polenta, roll out the dough and then put on your toppings, starting with the tomato paste, then the tomato jam, onions, mushrooms, a drizzling of garlic oil (simply mix a bit of minced garlic with some olive oil) and a pinch of sea salt.
Then cook in a very hot oven for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the top is bubbling hot. Allow to cool for a few minutes before eating.