Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Pizza with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

You know you’re in need of serious comfort, when after pulling a hefty Portuguese stuffed rustic bread from the oven, you quickly flatten another piece of dough and craft a simple pizza. There are very few meaty dishes I miss eating after become a vegetarian, but there is one particularly that I can’t seem to get out of my mind, especially during winter. I long for the flavors of perfectly caramelized onions and mushrooms steeped in the earthiness of french onion soup. I love the burst of juicy charred tomatoes, and sweet and smokey aromas that lend themselves lovely with crisped cooked basil leaves. I enjoy my basil eaten in its freshest form, but I wanted to intensify the earthy flavors by baking the basil into crackling deliciousness. Basil chips sound like a healthy and delicious snack with cherry tomatoes, or alongside a crispy melty slice of this comforting heaven. Top your pizza with anything that comforts and excites you, let it roast until charred and bubbly and savor in this simple good living.

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Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Pizza with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

Pizza Dough {divide raised dough to make 2 pizzas}

Mushroom Onion Topping

2 tablespoons – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 ounces – Portobella Mushrooms {sliced}

1 large – Onion {sliced}

3 – Dried Bay Leaves

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1 cup – Cherry Tomatoes {halved}

Handful – Fresh Basil Leaves

1 to 1 1/2 cups – Gouda Cheese {thinly sliced}

Basil and red pepper flakes for topping

Recipe

If you’re only making one pizza, wrap the second half of the dough in plastic, then in a ziplock bag, and freeze. When ready to use frozen dough, defrost in the fridge overnight, allowing it to come to room temperature before pressing into your pizza crust.

To make the mushroom onion topping, heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, bay leaves, mushroom and onions. Saute until onions become transparent, caramelized and mushrooms have a good seer and cooked through {about 10 to 12 minutes}. Seasoning to taste.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and pre-heat oven to 500*F. Oil a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place the rounded dough on the pan and stretch and press the dough out into a flat rectangle. If the dough springs back while you’re pressing it out, wait five minutes to allow the dough to rest, flatten  again. If the dough tears, just press it back together, it should be fairly thin.

Top pizza with mushroom and onion mixture, leaving a small edge then top with cherry tomatoes, cheese, and basil leaves.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges are charred and bubbling.  Remove from the oven.  Allow to cool for a few moments then slice and top with crushed red pepper flakes and more fresh basil. Serve immediately.