9:16 / Smoke City

As usual, I was stuck for inspiration this week, and left things until the last minute. On an impromptu shopping trip, I ran into some applewood-smoked bacon, then managed to track down an apple-smoked gouda I knew I had seen there before. This pizza's personality emerged just that quickly; it's a little sweet, a lot smoky, and less fussy than many. Depending on taste, a lot of the toppings can be allowed to char, so being a great cook is not a requirement.

Braeburn apples are preferred, but any cooking or baking apple works just fine. I make a lot of kale chips, and am guilty of stinking up the house with salty, blackened leaves. Not everyone's favorite, but I love them that way so they seemed to fit with this just-a-bit-overdone approach to pizza.

Crust:

4½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

½ cup warm water

1½ cups room temperature water

2¼ tsp yeast

Toppings:

4 cups torn or rough-chopped kale

3 - 4 Braeburn apples [or other baking apples]

8 - 10 strips applewood-smoked bacon

6 - 8 oz smoked gouda

4 oz parmesan

About 1 stick butter

⅓ cup sugar

Prepare the crust. Combine flour and salt, and sprinkle yeast over the warm water. Once it foams, add the yeast to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook. Add the additional water, and continue mixing until a silky, sticky dough has formed. Knead on a floured surface until dough holds into a ball. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and allow to rise for 1 - 1½ hours in a warm place.

During the rising stage, caramelize the apples. Cut the apples into thin slices, about ⅛ - ¼ inch thick. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a wide saucepan, then begin cooking the apples of medium heat. Sprinkle a little sugar over the apples. This will require cooking in stages, and each batch of apples will need about 2 tbsp of butter and a little sugar. Overall, I used almost a full stick of butter, but this will vary. Once the apples are soft, turn up the heat and allow the apples to brown. A little burning may even be desirable, it's all up to you.

Fry the bacon over high heat. Again, it's okay if a little burns. Drain on a paper towel and, once cooled, shred the bacon into small pieces. Grate the gouda and parmesan, wash and chop the kale, and set everything aside.

Heat the over to 500º F. Once the dough has risen, separate into two pieces and roll or shape them into 14-inch circles. Sprinkle a little cornmeal on your pizza stone or baking sheet, and transfer the dough onto it. Bake the dough for ten minutes, until it begins to turn golden-brown.

Remove the dough from the oven and top with the kale, apples, bacon and cheeses. Dust a little of the parmesan over the edges of the crust. Pop back in the oven for another ten minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust is well done. Makes two pies as usual. Enjoy!