Homemade Fall Squash Pizza
It’s starting to get chilly outside, which means it’s time to fire up the oven to as high as it will go! It’s officially time to make some homemade pizza with all the flavors of fall - acorn squash, goat cheese, fresh thyme and sage, and caramelized onions! This is my go-to pizza dough, but you can always call your local pizza shop and ask for a ball of their dough so you can prep your toppings and skip right to the assembly. Just don’t skimp on the fresh herbs, that’s where you’ll really start to feel like it’s sweater weather.
Homemade Fall Squash Pizza
Ingredients
2 cups All-purpose flour, or bread flour if you have it
1 packet Instant Yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup water, lukewarm
1 tbs olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 onion, caramelized
1 acorn squash, roasted in bite size pieces
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1 tbs fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Directions
Whisk the flour, instant yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Then add your salt and whisk again. To explain: if you add your salt directly on top of your yeast, you will kill it - by adding the salt after whisking everything else together you ensure the yeast can do its job.
Make a well in your bowl and add your lukewarm water. Mix together until the dough becomes a ball. I like to start with a spatula and switch to my hands to help form the gluten.
Place the dough in a medium bowl that has been brushed with olive oil. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap, set in a warm space, and let double in size - about an hour. At the halfway point, preheat your oven to 425 F.
Pat dough down and stretch onto an oiled cookie sheet, 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. If you are finding it hard for the dough to stretch enough, let it breathe for a moment. This is called letting the dough relax, it will then be ready to stretch farther after 3-5 minutes of chilling. Keep repeating until you’ve got the whole surface covered.
Brush the dough with extra olive oil and spread a layer of caramelized onions, acorn squash, and goat cheese. Sprinkle the sage and thyme leaves for the pizza and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.
