Hello dreamboat.

Whole Wheat Fontina Portobello Pizza I howsweeteats.com

Once upon a time I hated mushrooms.

It was a sad life I lead. Led? I don’t know how to spell what I want to say. It rhymes with bed.

 

But seriously… sad. Chicken marsala without mushrooms. Creamy bisques lacking mushrooms. Eating only the stuffing for stuffed mushrooms [which is excellent, by the way].

 

You may know all about this too if you’re afraid of the fungi. But I’m about to tell you a little secret. Really say the word fungi… say it out loud.  FUNGI. Hear it?

Fun guy! Yes. Fun guys.

Whole Wheat Fontina Portobello Pizza I howsweeteats.com

I don’t know what turned me onto mushrooms but I suspect it was the three month period where I was forced to saute them until juicy and delectable or be subjected to the other member of this household destroying all of my skillets (success) from surviving on scrambled eggs for dinner. Someone has really weird food obsessions.

 

So here’s the deal. Melt some butter in a pan until it gets all sizzly. Dump in a bunch of mushrooms and toss them with the golden bubbles. Let them cook until they are soft and plump and just begging for a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Your best bet is to cover a perfectly grilled filet with the shrooms, but I’d like to convince you to just add them on top of some golden, toasty bread.

 

If that doesn’t do it for you, pile them on a pizza with some crazy cheeses and bacon. Or just do that anyway, because you totally have to get in on this goodness. And FYI: if you really hate the mushrooms, then you can just eat a bacon + fontina pizza. I won’t hate it.

I think my taste buds exploded. And I’d like the same for you. In a completely loving, non-violent way of course.

Whole Wheat Fontina Portobello Pizza I howsweeteats.com

Whole Wheat Fontina Portobello Pizza

dough: [I used my standard dough, use whatever dough you’d like.]

1 cup all purpose flour + 3/4 cup regular whole wheat flour

3/4 cup warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

toppings:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms

3 slices bacon

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated

4 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup grated parmesan + a bit more for topping

fresh parsely, chopped for garnish

Combine water, yeast, olive oil and honey and mix with a spoon. Let sit for about 15 minutes until yeast becomes foamy. When I made this pizza I actually used my stand mixer + dough hook for simplicity, but you can also do it by hand. Add in flour and salt and mix until a ball forms and dough comes together (with the mixer, I mixed for about 5 minutes). Using your hands, knead dough for 1-2 minutes until it is somewhat smooth. Place in an oiled bowl (in a warm spot) and let rise for 60-90 minutes. Punch down the dough, then let rise for another 15 minutes.

When dough is almost ready, prepare your bacon so it is half-cooked with just a bit of fat rendered. I stuck mine in the over at 375 for 10 minutes, but you can fry it or even microwave it. Just make sure it is lightly cooked and then cut it into pieces.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly flour your workspace and using a rolling pin, roll dough to the shape you want. Brush dough with olive oil and cover in minced garlic cloves. Add half of each cheese onto the dough, the cover with mushrooms and bacon. Add remaining cheese on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and crust is crispy. When pizza is done, top with additional parmesan and chopped parsley.

Whole Wheat Fontina Portobello Pizza I howsweeteats.com

Not sure if I can survive one more day without you trying this. Save me?