Carmelized Onion, Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with Garlic White Sauce

I really should be baking…

I really, really should be baking…

Damnit, why are you making a pizza? Did you not hear me? You should be BAKING!!!!

Why do I even bother fighting my foodie urges?

I was very tired after work, so the intent was to rest. I knew I had holiday baking to do before Friday, but the thought of measuring and being all exact was too taxing. With that settled, my thoughts went to dinner and for some reason I immediately wanted a pizza. This is nothing new really, since I adore anything that usually involves bread and cheese. But I knew the kind of pizza I wanted wasn’t available via delivery. So I pulled out an olive oil dough I made (you can probably guess from which book I got the recipe) and threw together this very easy, very flavorful pizza.

Carmelized Onions, Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with Garlic White Sauce

Premade Pizza Dough (I used the Olive Oil Dough recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes, but you can use this one)

1 large onion, sliced thinly and carmelized (for instructions on how to carmelize the onion, hop on over to an older post)

1 small package crimini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 bag fresh baby spinach

4 ounces Vermeer cheese, grated

Garlic White Sauce:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven (and a baker’s stone) to it’s highest temperature.

Make the garlic white sauce first. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for three minutes. With a whisk in one hand, whisk in the flour and cook for another three minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook for about four minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste and put aside.

Once the onions are almost completely carmelized, add in the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are softened and the onions are completely carmelized. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. While waiting, grate the cheese and remove the stems from the baby spinach. You can rip the baby spinach into smaller pieces or use the leaves as is.

Roll out the dough into a large circle and gently place it on a baker’s peel sprinkled with corn meal. Pour the garlic sauce into the center of the dough and with a back of a ladle, in a circular pattern, evenly distribute the sauce amongst the dough. Be sure to leave enough space around the edges sauce free (no one likes sauce all over their hands). Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the sauce and then evenly distribute the onion/mushroom mixture around the dough. Top with the spinach and finally sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Carefully shimmy the pizza onto the baker’s stone in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes (you may have to rotate the pizza halfway through to ensure even baking), or until the crust is golden brown.

Somehow I don’t think any holiday baking will get done tonight.