BLT&C PIZZA

Italian|Pizza|Pork

Ingredients

Pizza Crust:

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus 2 teaspoons to oil the bowl)

1 tablespoon honey

1 ½ cups warm water (115 degrees)

1 packet yeast

2 teaspoons salt

3 ½ – 4 cups flour

Sauce:

½ cup Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 large garlic clove, grated on a microplane (or finely minced)

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Toppings:

12 ounce center cut bacon

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into ½” slices

1 ¼ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup baby arugula leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Instructions

To make the pizza dough, place olive oil, honey, and water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to dissolve honey into the water (so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the bowl). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the liquid mixture, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until yeast becomes foamy. Add salt and 2 ½ cups of the flour. Mix using the dough hook attachment. Gradually add as much of the remaining flour as needed until a ball forms. Empty dough onto a floured countertop and knead for 10-15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic adding flour as needed if sticky.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in bulk. Knead dough briefly and divide into 2 equal parts and form balls. Let rest for 30 minutes under a clean kitchen towel. If you are not using both balls, refrigerate each ball in a plastic bag sprayed with cooking spray for up to 5 days.

Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees for 20 minutes (you can also make pizza on a sheet pan, but a stone makes the crispest crust).

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set aside.

Spread the bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 8 minutes. The bacon will not be completely cooked through, but will finish cooking on the pizza. When it has cooled chop it into 1” pieces

Shape the pizza dough into a 12-14” round. Spread cornmeal on a pizza peel and arrange the dough on top (or on a baking sheet if you do not have a pizza stone). Spread the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving ½” of the crust exposed.

Top the sauce with the tomato slices in a single layer, followed by the chopped bacon, and the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes over the top. Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the preheated stone in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes until browned and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then top with the arugula and drizzle with olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, slice and devour!