Asparagus and Bacon Pizza

Yes, I was serious about baking as soon as the matzoh ran out.  I just went nuts for a few days.  Anyway, I had half a pound of asparagus to use up, some bacon ends in the freezer, and a bit of cheese that I wasn't sure when I bought.  All it took was half a jar of arugula pesto from the freezer to turn this into a "free" pizza.  For good measure, I tossed some walnut pieces on top.

I chose to blanch the asparagus before putting it on the pizza for several reasons.  The main reason is that it takes much longer to roast asparagus than it does to bake a pizza.  It wouldn't be cooked through.  Another is that I don't like the shriveled look of roasted asparagus and hoped to reduce it with a quick simmer.  Third, the bright green color of asparagus is revealed best through blanching or stir-frying.  It gets kind of dark and sickly looking in the oven, and when it's up against the pretty green of pesto it's more noticeable.  Under hollandaise or another creamy sauce that's usually served with roasted asparagus, you don't notice.


1 C 100º water
*1 Tb honey
1 Tb olive oil
*2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
*1 C buckwheat flour
1 to 2 C all purpose flour
*1/2 lb asparagus spears
1/2 lb bacon
*1/2 C broken walnuts
1-1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C pesto
cornmeal for dusting pan

1.  Stir honey, oil, and yeast into warm water and allow to get foamy, about 5 minutes.  In stand mixer with the paddle, combine water mixture with buckwheat flour and beat into a batter.  Add 1 C all purpose flour and the salt and beat into a thick batter/ soft dough.

2.  Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding as little flour as possible.  Turn over in a lightly oiled bowl to coat all sides and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

3.  While the dough is rising, cook the bacon until crisp.  Chop into bite-sized pieces.  Cut asparagus into one-inch pieces and drop in a pot of simmering water for 3 to 5 minutes, until color brightens.  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.  Soak the walnuts in warm water for at least half an hour; this will improve their texture after baking.  Bring pesto to room temperature so it's easy to spread.

4.  Punch down dough and turn out onto a work surface.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Scatter cornmeal on two baking sheets.

5.  Divide dough into quarters or by weight.  Mine came out to about 5 oz per piece.  Roll into four discs about 6" across for thicker crust, 8" for thin crust.  Place on baking sheets.

6.  Spoon 2 Tb pesto on each pizza.  It looks thin, but there's a lot of flavor in there.  Also, you don't want to make the pizzas soggy.  Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cheese on each disc.  It may not seem like a lot, but there's parmesan in nearly every pesto.

7.  Time for the toppings.  Divide asparagus, bacon, and walnuts evenly between the pizzas.  Allow to rest in a warm place while you preheat the oven to 375º, about 10 to 15 minutes.

8.  Bake pizzas for 15 minutes, then switch racks for the last 5-8 minutes.  The cheese will brown more evenly.  Allow to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 4 personal pizzas.  With a good sized side salad, you could do half per person as a lunch serving.

Difficulty rating :-0