During this festive season, with its lengthy to-do lists, socializing, and houseguests, a simple dinner sandwiched between holiday prep provides a welcome respite. A recipe that’s rustic and easy, with optional shortcuts, is satisfying and comforting and can be enjoyed at the kitchen table or in front of the fire. And guess what? It can also stand in as a low-key appetizer, divvied into small portions and offered to unannounced visitors or lingering houseguests who seem to have misplaced their car keys.
This is a white pizza, which means there is no tomato sauce. The ingredients on the pizza evoke the mountains, with nutty alpine cheese and slippery golden onions. For the easiest prep, use a prepared pizza dough. There are many options available in supermarkets of decent quality. This recipe provides instructions for oven-baking, but the pizza can also be prepared on a grill over indirect high heat.
Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Pizza
Active time: 40 minutes Total time: 1 hour- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large yellow onions, halved, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 1 ball prepared pizza dough, about 1 pound, defrosted if frozen, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup packed finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 cup packed grated Gruyere cheese, about 4 ounces
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in a small bowl.
Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack in the oven. Heat the oven to its highest setting, about 500 degrees.
Generously dust a pizza peel with flour or line a rimless baking sheet with a piece of parchment. Thinly roll or stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle or oval (it’s OK if it’s irregular in shape). Transfer the dough to the peel or the parchment.
Brush the dough with some of the oil, leaving a 1/2-inch border clear. Sprinkle half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the oil. Spread the onions over the pizza. Top with the Gruyere and thyme. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pizza. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and lightly season with salt.
Carefully slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Bake until the toppings begin to char and the crust is crisp and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pizza once for even cooking.
Slide the pizza off the stone and transfer to a cutting board. Immediately brush the border with some of the remaining oil. Garnish with thyme leaves.
Roberta’s Pizza Dough
Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 25 minutes plus rest and rising time- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (153 grams) 00 flour
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons (153 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (8 grams) fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
In a small mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams (a little less than 1 cup) lukewarm tap water, the yeast and the olive oil, then pour it into flour mixture. Knead with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes, then let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
Knead rested dough for 3 minutes. Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on a heavily floured surface, cover with dampened cloth, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)
To make pizza, place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares. Top and bake.