Description
Chef John's sweet potato and bacon pizza is perfectly balanced, with sharp lemon, savory bacon, spicy jalapeno, and a kiss of rosemary to contrast with rich sweet potato.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups lukewarm water (400 grams)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups mashed orange-fleshed sweet potato (from about 3 sweet potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 rounded tablespoon minced rosemary
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 12 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, to grease pan
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
- 2 ounces fontina cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
Directions
- For dough, mix yeast and water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add flour and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes to form a soft, sticky dough. Scrape down sides of bowl, cover, and let rise in a cool spot until doubled in size, 8 to 12 hours.
- Use a wet hand to deflate and de-gas the dough, and form into a ball. Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Pierce sweet potatoes with a knife and place on a baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven until soft, about 1 hour. Let cool until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
- Scoop sweet potato flesh into a bowl—you will need about 2 1/2 cups. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and mash until smooth. Stir in Parmigiano Reggiano, and taste for seasoning. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (235 degrees C).
- Add bacon to a cold, dry, nonstick skillet. Place over medium-high heat, and cook, separating bacon pieces with tongs, until almost crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels; set aside.
- To assemble pizza, pour olive oil on a sheet pan and spread over evenly; place on dough, and use oiled hands to press out to the edges. If dough is very elastic, let dough rest and relax for a few minutes, then continue to stretch. Repeat this process as needed to stretch dough to cover the pan.
- Dollop sweet potato mixture onto dough; Spread a thin layer over crust with the back of a spoon. Top evenly with mozzarella, bacon, fontina, and jalapenos. Finish with another dusting of Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden, and cheese is browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a board and slice with a pizza cutter.
