Enjoy my tribute to Autumn with my Apple Butter Pizza. You'll love the combination of flavors. A crisp pizza crust, Gorgonzola cheese, baby arugula leaves, and toasted pine nuts will make you happy it's getting colder outside.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time6 minutesmins
Total Time31 minutesmins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 623kcal
Author: Chef Dennis Littley
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
3 ½ cupall-purpose flour
1 ¼cup water
1 ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ¼teaspoon sugar
1 ¾ teaspoonsea salt
1tablespoonolive oil
Pizza Topping
½ cupapple butter
½ cup tomato paste
½ tart apple –sliced thin
½ cup gorgonzola cheese
½ cup baby arugula leaves
2tablespoontoasted pine nuts
Instructions
Pizza Dough
In your stand mixer bowl, add 1 ¼ cups of warm water (100 -105 degrees F or 38-40 C)
Sprinkle dry active yeast and sugar on top of water, allow to sit for 10 minutes until yeast gets creamy
In another bowl, mix flour with sea salt
Add flour to yeast mixture and using a dough hook, mix until a coarse ball has formed on the dough hook (approx., 2-3 minutes)
Allow dough to rest in bowl, with a damp towel covering the bowl, for 5 minutes.
Continue to mix using dough hook on medium to low speed for about 2 more minutes
(if the dough is too sticky to hold its shape add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until its firm enough. If the dough is too dry add water one tablespoon at a time until moist enough)
Coat a bowl with extra virgin olive oil and place the dough into the bowl and coat dough with olive oil, place a damp kitchen towel over the bowl and allow to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Divide dough into 2 dough balls and place on a floured surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terry) and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours)
Form dough into 12-14 inch pizza (free form) placing on pizza peel or cookie sheet .
I used a pizza stone on my grill (my grill goes to 650 degrees when closed), you can make the pizza in a household oven if you like, just increase the time and set your oven to 450. Preheat your oven 20 minutes before you are ready to use it
Mix apple butter and tomato paste together to make your pizza sauce
Pizza Topping
Spread apple butter pizza sauce on your formed dough
Place sliced apples randomly on top of sauce
Use ½ of gorgonzola cheese, sprinkle on top of your pizza (try to hit the apples with some of the cheese)
Bake until bottom of pizza crust is browned 5-6 minutes in a grill 11-14 in your oven
Remove pizza from oven and top with baby arugula leaves and the remainder of the gorgonzola crumbles, and toasted pine nuts.
Cut into slices and serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and crushed red peppers if you like a little heat on your pizza.
Notes
I used my grill for this pizza, it cooks at 650 F degrees (343 C) If you use a conventional oven at 450 degrees F, (232 C) increase your cooking time to between 10-14 minutes depending upon your oven.