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Happy first day of October!!
I think it is safe to say that I am pretty into fall. Lucky for us, for every season there are multiple pizzas to accompany it. Pizza is just that kind of food, an all the time, every season, kind of meal. It’s adaptable, and can be topped in more ways than I can count.
Plus, pizza cures all. Like when your mother tells you that she thinks it would be best if she worked as the General Contractor on your new home. Meaning – my mom is now overseeing everything that is going on down at the barn…
Oh yeah, did I forget to tell you guys this?
It’s probably because it freaks the heck out of me and I just do not want to admit it yet. To you, to me, to anyone.
Well, it is true, my amazing, and apparently super multi talented, mother became the general contractor a few weeks ago. At first I pretty much freaked because I mean, she knows not a thing about how to do a remodel like this or how to build a thing. But now I am ok with it. She works way harder than anyone (especially our previous contractor), so I have to trust that she’ll get it done on time. Although, I did just hear that something got pushed back a week.
Oh no. I need more pizza. This barn is going to drive me insane. Who would have thought that remodeling a small barn to be a home would be such a process. Not me. The whole Thanksgiving deadline that is pretty important that we meet? Yeah, well that has now become the first week of December and to be totally honest that will SO be pushing it. Send help. No literally, if you know good workers please send them because they seem to be a little hard to come by up in my mountain town. I think everybody is just too excited about the snow or something.
Anyway, my point is that pizza makes all the stress better. Especially when it’s a fall pizza. I think fall pizzas may just be my favorite. Actually, butternut squash is my favorite and I think that you will quickly realize this over the coming weeks. So many squash recipes flying through my head.
This pizza is all things fall, but not in an overpowering way, where you are like, “eew, this just tastes like a fall candle… and not a good one”. I have actually had that response once, not fun.
Over the years, I have made a lot of fall inspired pizzas and they all seem to have a sweet and spicy theme to them. I’m pretty sure it is because my family loves spicy… and I love the combos of sweet and spicy… plus heavy on the cheesy!
That is this Butternut Squash Pizza. It’s got a spicy oil based sauce, savory cider caramelized onions, super thin slices of apple for sweetness, tons of sharp cheddar, blue cheese, roasted butternut and bacon (of course feel free to lose the bacon and keep this a vegetarian pizza if needed) to tie it all together. What could you not like about these flavors? So flippin delicious.
Really though, look at all that gooey, melty cheese.
Maybe it is the cheese that cures all actually? Not sure, but whatever, it’s good stuff. And on a Wednesday when you just need a way to get over that hump!
Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Fall Harvest Pizza w/Roasted Butternut, Cider Caramelized Onions + Bacon.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 1113 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash or pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon chili powder divided
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 2 sweet onions sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 in large chipotle chile adobo minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small apple thinly sliced
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2-4 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- 1 large bunch fresh sage
- roasted pumpkin seeds for topping
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- In a large bowl, combine water, yeast and honey. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in 1 cup flour, salt and olive oil stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Using your hands, on a floured surface, form the dough into a ball and work the additional 1/2 cup flour into the dough if needed. All of the mixing and kneading can also be done in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Next, rub the same bowl with olive oil, then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
To assemble
- About 40 minutes before the dough is done rising, start assembling the pizza. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.*
- In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, cinnamon, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Spread the veggies out in a single layer on one or two baking sheets. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the veggies and toss well to coat. Roast until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring the veggies halfway through. Remove and set aside.
- While the veggies roast, caramelize the onions. Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but one tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan and then add the butter. Add the onions and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. At this point you want to slowly add the cider, let it cook into the onions, add more and let it cook some more. Do this until the 1 cup of cider is gone or the onions are caramelized to your liking and the cider has evaporated.
- In a bowl whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, chipotle chile pepper in adobo, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, cumin and a good pinch of salt + pepper.
- Once the pizza dough is ready, lightly flour a counter. Use your hands or a rolling pin to roll the dough out until you have a flattened disk. Place the pizzas on a greased baking sheet and then use your hands to gently tug, pull and push the pizza dough into your desired shape. Spread the chipotle olive oil mixture over the dough. Add the caramelized onions and half the roasted butternut squash. You may not want to use all onions if you feel like there is just too many. I used probably about 3/4 of the onions. Add the cheddar cheese and then the sliced apples and remaining butternut. Sprinkle with the blue cheese.
- Bake the pizza for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and gooey. Remove from the oven and top with crispy sage (below) and roasted pumpkin seeds. EAT while melty and delicious!
Sage
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add about 1/2 inch of olive oil. Once hot, add the sage leaves and cook 30 seconds per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Serve over the pizza.
Notes
*Double this dough recipe to make two pizzas, there is enough toppings for two smaller, thicker crust pizzas if desired. **Feel free to cook this pizza which ever way you please. Sometimes I use a baking stone and cook the pizza at 500 degrees F. for about 15 minutes. Or sometimes I use a cast iron skillet like I did [here | https://fett-weg.today/green-olive-pesto-pizza-with-roasted-red-peppers-and-feta-stuffed-crust/%5D.%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E
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Leaning tower of cheesy pizza awesomeness right there. Dig in.
This post was originally published on October 1, 2014
I love butternut squash on pizza. And caramelized onions? AND BACON? Digging it.
Thanks Sarah! I just love butternut! 🙂
Saw this on G+ and had to come over for a look and say hello. Beautiful pizza and I’m totally jealous of that crust. I have such trouble with dough. Great flavor combo, pinning.
Thanks for stopping over! I love this dough recipe and for the crust to get nice and thick like that use this method of cooking it in a cast iron skillet. Hope you love the pizza!
Yuuuum! I’m obsessed with butternut squash and sage right now – I have to make this!
Me too! I honestly cannot get enough! Thanks Amanda!
Mmmmm comforting is the perfect word to describe how I’m feeling about this pizza. It looks incredible! Also, I am super jealous of how gorgeous your pizza crust is! Seriously! What is your secret?!
Thank you! I cooked the pizza in a skillet to get the crust like that. Here is the directions on how to do it, but I actually prefer a thin crust pizza.
I love all your pizza recipes. This one is no different. I will definitely be trying it out!!
Thanks Jenna!
Just starting to accept the arrival of fall. But I think it’s going to be a pretty delicious season.
Could this pizza get any better?
I don’t think so.
Thanks Brian and happy fall! 🙂
Looks so good Tieghan! Can’t wait to try this!
What a heavenly portrait to wake up to this morning. I am going to have to give this some serious thought, may have to change up my dinner plans. I just happen to have a butternut squash in the kitchen right now and I always have bacon. I’m so glad I have found your blog!
This pizza looks amazing! I have yet to buy my first butternut, but I have acorn and kabocha sitting on my dining room table right now, ready to be used.
And man, I feel you on the renovation woes. I’m sure your mom will do amazingly well! But yes, construction is always slow, and I can’t even imagine how much slower it gets when you guys get all that snow every winter.
Your pizzas always amaze me! Love this and cannot wait to make it. I cut into my first butternut squash the other day. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it!
This pizza is flat out perfect for fall. All the best ingredients on top of one heck of a dough!!
I take the easy route and buy the crust but the toppings would be great on it .
OOOPS forgot to say you will be happy and cosy in your Barn soon.
It looks delicious!! 🙂
Amazing recipe again can’t wait to try it out. Asim veggie I will be leaving out the bacon, what’d I you suggest to replace the smokey saltiness?
A
This looks amazing Tieghan! I’d obviously skip the bacon to make it veggie, but I know it would be amazing anyway – those caramelised onions look absolutely incredible!