Whole Wheat Autumn Apple Pizza.
Like, none. You probably didn’t eat any last night either. And you probably, most definitely didn’t have to open up a bulk-sized box of the big candy bars for the last little straggler trick o’ treating at 7:59 PM
Nope. Not at all. Those sort of things just happen to me, the chocolate/candy/food addict.
Since you probably stuffed yourself with greens and salad and kale and lemons and no junk food yesterday, you can totally eat pizza today.
But wait. Before I tell you about that. Let’s talk about these trick or treaters. Um, since when did kids stop dressing up? Since when was it acceptable to wear a sweatshirt and jeans with a “scary” mask? Since when was it acceptable to wear a sweatshirt, jeans and a “scary” mask and just walk to the door with a scowl on your face? Since when was it acceptable to wear a sweatshirt, jeans and a “scary” mask, just walk to the door with a scowl on your face, grab THREE giant candy bars, then walk away without even uttering a “thank you!” or “happy halloween!” or “trick or treat!” or “hey, we heard you and your husband screaming at each other over the waffle maker on Saturday. You’re weird.”
What is up? Some kids didn’t even wear a costume. In those cases, I just wanted to sit on the stoop of my front porch chewing a Snickers and manage to say, “oops, I ate it all! But since you’re dressed as someone who can clean my kitchen, please come inside.”
Oooooh, also? Let me apologize in advance for the 500 recipes this week that will have sage thrown on top of them. If you don’t like it, don’t add it. Simple as that.
And yes, I’m sure I can magically find a way to fit 500 recipes into three more days. Don’t roll your eyes.
Anyhoo.
A few weeks ago a reader, Karia, emailed me an idea for an apple sausage pizza. I sort of have a “thing” for sausage… that “thing” being a major gag reflex anytime fennel seeds come near my face. So naturally, I added bacon. The food of the… blogger that lives in this house.
This is one pizza I will not forget. It’s light and thin-crusted, with not one, but two layers of slenderly sliced apples, caramelized onions, piles of gouda cheese and crispy, crunchy bacon squares. Total flavor explosion. Total pizza demolition.
Whole Wheat Autumn Apple Pizza
serves 2-4
dough (this is my go-to dough)
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
In the bowl of your electric mixer with an attached dough hook, combine warm water, yeast, honey and oil and mix with a spoon. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until foamy, then add in flour and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined, then turn to medium speed to knead the dough for 5-6 minutes. If it seems to sticky, add a bit more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
Brush a separate bowl with olive oil, add dough, turning once, then set in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours. Cover with a towel.
pizza
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large apple, very thinly sliced
5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into squares
1 small red onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup freshly grated gouda cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
8-10 sage leaves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
15 minutes for dough is ready to use, slice onions. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then add onions with a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, soft and juicy. In the last minute, add garlic and cook for 60 seconds, then set aside off heat. While onions are cooking, cut bacon. Place on a paper-towel lined plate, and cover with another paper towel. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, just until the fat is rendered so the pizza is not incredible greasy. Set aside.
Remove pizza dough from the bowl and throw on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin or your hands, roll and shape it into your desired shape. I love making it into a rustic rectangle like above, but a circle works too. Brush with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with nutmeg. Slice apples (do not do this earlier unless you don’t mind brown apples), then add about 1/4 cup cheese onto the dough. Place a layer of apples on the cheese, then add the onions and garlic. Add the remaining cheese evenly over top, then finish with bacon and another layer of apples. Add a few pieces of sage if desired.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Tomorrow I’m going to show you what to do with all of your leftover candy instead of, you know… making yourself sick with it. Well, at least I think I am. I may eat it all first.
209 Comments on “Whole Wheat Autumn Apple Pizza.”
Beautiful pizza i’ll have to give this a try, I live the sweet and savory! I have been making pizzas all weekend – just put up a new post on my blog!
I don’t even want to talk about those trick or treaters. My best one had to be a 55 year old woman who looked (and smelled) like she had been drinking all day claiming to be trick or treating for her son. Um, no you aren’t ma’am, but I’m going to give you candy anyways because I’m a wuss.
And let me one up your sausage reflex (okay that sounded nasty). I gag whenever I even read the word sausage. Yup, just happened about 5 times in the last 3 minutes.
Seriously… I had kids coming to my door this year, in absolutely no costume what so ever. And I swear they were as old as me! So crazy ;-) This pizza just might be my lunch today. Yum!
Oh those trick-or-treaters. YIKES! ….When the parents had bags of their own for Halloween candy- I was like “really? Give you candy too?!” and I totally did because I’m such a pushover. I thought it was for the little kids. Do the parents still ask Santa to bring them gifts???
Pizza does look yummy though! I’d clean your kitchen for a piece!
I had a man come with his son… this dude had to be well over 40 and was dressed as Super Mario AND had a bag for candy. Who knows – he could have been collecting for a child that was home sick or something, but it was still crazy.
Oh my goodness, this pizza looks fabulous. Plus it’s healthy – the best thing to eat before eating 323 mini-Butterfingers. ;-)
This pizza looks amazing. And fennel also makes me wanna puke. It is seriously one of two foods I can think of that I don’t like. :)
Agreed.
Oh that looks amazing!! I totally dont like sage, but youre totally right – I COULD just leave it off! Cant believe you hate sage and like fennel though – ODDDNESS!
Happy (slightly belated) Halloween Jessica!! xox
This pizza sounds awesome – I love the salty/sweet/smoky combo…and apples and cheese is a great combo by itself. I love the sage, too and I have a plant in my garden I do need to use more.
My biggest peave is the kids that come up to my house and don’t say “trick or treat”…or “thank you.” I’m also the mom that when my kids come back from a house asking them….”Did you say Thank you?????? Did you????” I’m so embarrassing:-).
I’m not even a mom and I think it’s terrible that the kids don’t say thank you! I will be the ultimate embarrassment.
Very unique. I suppose this can also easily be turned into a dessert pizza and bacon can stay in the dessert pizza:)
I feel the SAME EXACT way about fennel seeds! I can spot them in anything, even if they are ground up! How can anyone like those little devils? Have you ever notice that Rachel Ray puts them in EVERYTHING?! I am so glad to this site is a fennel free zone!
I know… is it a common Italian seasoning? I don’t know. I just can’t take them.
I know what you’re doing with the sage… I few years ago I was so super obsessed with sage, I even opened a spa with Sage in the name. and as an ingredient in one of the treatments. Mmm…
now I want pizza for breakfast. it’s only 4:30 here…
This is really unique! Great idea!
I can not eat fennel seeds at all so I always have to look for sausage without it, but how could bacon be bad instead?! This pizza sounds delicious. I can’t believe the kids didn’t dress up, that isn’t even fun!
Oh I love the looks of this. I would skip the bacon and add extra apples and be very, very happy. It looks awesome. I love the big sage leaves….so pretty!
I wish we got trick-or-treaters. Since we moved out of the suburbs we have seen nobody on Hallween. Shame.
Interesting pizza by the way – apple isn’t one of my usual choices of topping.
i hate how kids (older kids) don’t dress up and expect a free candy handout! we luckily didn’t have anything like that last night, but i told nate that if anyone showed up without costume they didn’t get candy. that crap’s expensive! i’m such a party pooper, huh?
on another note, i love this pizza. LOVE IT.
we had some ballsy trick-or-treaters as well. the HANDFULS of candy just kill me. especially when it’s a teenager. i had 4 year olds that were more polite! drives me nuts.
on a happier note, this pizza looks delicious.
The handfuls kill me too. I just remember my dad screaming at me when I was little “only take 1!”
This pizza looks amazing. I love unordinary combinations on my pizza. I cannot wait to try it!
My old piano teacher used to flat-out turn teenagers away if they weren’t in costume. I always wanted to witness it…
Also, we deep-fry sage like every day at cooking school as a garnish. I have no idea why…
That’s my favorite way to eat it!
The hubs and I didn’t get any trick-or-treaters at our apartment, so I can’t comment on this year’s costumes… but I can commiserate with you on fennel seeds in sausage. Um, gross. Bacon will do ;). This pizza looks fantastic!
Just bookmarked this one! I love that it’s whole wheat too.
Oh I loooove fresh sage! I can’t find it anywhere here in Germany though. Can’t wait to get back to the states to enjoy it again.
From the title, I was expecting a sweet pizza–love that it is savory. Not that I have anything against sweets…obviously love them a little too much! I hope you bought stock in sage ;)
totally agree with the trick or treater “attitude” as of late!! Plus, since when is it ok to go trick or treating when you are 17+??? We saw sooo many college age kids out trick or treating!
This pizza looks amazzzzzzzing! Totally gonna veggie it up using some veggie bacon and add to the menu this week :)
This is so pretty Jess! And no worries about the sage. I do the same when I buy fresh basil because if you don’t use it up in a week it’s no good any more!
that’s crazy! I cannot believe they trick or treated without a costume! I feel like trick or treating is a fun activity for kids, and once you hit the age where you could buy your own candy, you should not be trick or treating. Especially if you don’t even do it because you enjoy dressing up and going around to houses. But that pizza looks so good!
a) I KNOW. I’m over kids dressed up as…A KID and expecting freaking candy.
b) I used to not like fennel. But in my adult years I’ve come to know its place in this world.
c) Its place is pretty dang tootin’ good.
d) Sorry about the whole “dang tootin'” thing.
e) I’m making this pizza. GOOD LORD am I making this.
I’ve never thought about combining sausage and apples before. It looks really good. I pinned it on pinterest for something to try!
Dude, don’t get me started on Halloween. I live in a small city in Alabama and the lovely chamber of commerce thought it would be smart for trick or treating to start at five. Most people aren’t even home from work by five. So I do my motherly thing and witchify my face and don a pointy lil hat. My poor husband even suited up as Iron Man for our lil Captain America. And no, I didn’t let him carry his own bag for candy. We walk about two streets and my jewel of a three year decides he wants to go home. He was just done. Awesome. Commence operation scrub the death out of my face. I had a few too old trick or treaters. Anyway, pizza looks delicious. I’m newer to your blog and find myself going through old recipes just to read what you have to say. You fill up my mornings. Reading that is. Not in a weird way like I’m in love with you or anything.
LOL! Oh man… I remember when we were little and would only go to 4-5 hours after my parents had dressed up. Can’t wait to experience that.
Since when is it acceptable to come in your sweatshirt, jeans and mask with your mother, who happens to have a baby in a stroller, but is not dressed up(nor is the baby) and carrying a full size pillowcase for herself, or the baby. Either blows my mind.
People are crazy.
Love the idea of a SWEET pizza. Leave it to you.
So many fennel haters! Who knew? Your pizza looks terrific with bacon, but I would eat it with sausage, too. ;)
Love your photos. You always do such a great job on the food photography. This pizza looks great too ;)
Thanks Chris!
Interesting pizza talk… Since I had never made a homemade pizza dough before last Sunday… and believe what, I still have one part of uncooked dough left in the fridge! I was wondering what to do with it… I don’t eat bacon often (I mean : never), but this seems like a good one (my boyfriend will be thrilled)!
PS : I don’t own an electric mixer, and it’s kind of annoying to knead (thank you for improving my vocabulary) pizza dough with bare hand for 20 minutes… but so totally worth it! :)
Totally agree. I kneaded by hand while I still had my mixer and dough hook… was unaware of the magic it could do!
holy. yum. i will be making this asap. i just love every recipe you post and i look forward to your blog every day!
Thanks Lindsay!
I had a kid come to my house wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and a glowstick necklace thingy. What ever happened to creative costumes?We buy the fun size candy bars but give out several to each kid, although I told my husband next year the amount of candy bars you get will be on a scale depending on if your costume sucks or not, if you say trick or treat, and if you tell me you like my pumpkins, etc. (I may have a slight obsession with pumpkins at this time of year – like having 20 on my front porch)
ps… I hate fennel too!
I know… it really is sad! So crazy how my entire Facebook feed was filled with pictures of 20-30-40 year olds dressed up to the nine’s and the kids don’t even care about dressing up anymore!
I adore fruit on pizza – ever since that episode of Doug where he accidentally puts banana on his pizza in home ec and it ends up being delicious (of course I tried it). And pears are amazing. But it never occurred to me to try apple, yum!
Wow. This looks like a perfect dream pizza. I am practically drooling, but am somewhere so that there is no chance of me making or eating anything close to this anytime soon. Please just eat more of it for me and I will just sit here and stare hungrily at my screen. Deal? Great. Thanks.
Ooh this pizza looks awesome! I always forget fruit as an option on pizza. DER.
As far as the trick or treaters, yeah, SOOO would not give teens candy. I’m sorry but if the word “teen” is in your age, you’re too old in our book and if you have no costume are, you are just a person walking up to my door asking for something for free…in which the answer is no. If *I* had to dress up to get candy, so do you bub!
I also saw a few kids who were just wearing jeans and sweatshirts with funny hats, as well as college kids…lame! I think you said it best: “But since youâre dressed as someone who can clean my kitchen, please come inside.” EXACTLY.
Your pics of sage continue to kick myself for not growing sage this year. I want to fry 8 lbs of it…and make 8 of these pizzas!
I make trick or treaters who aren’t in costume sing for me. Something embarrassing with motions, like “I’m a Little Teapot.” Entertainment for me, candy and humiliation for them. We lived in the city for a while, in a rougher part of town on a cut-through street that got at least 100 trick or treaters, including adults not in costume. It was a little ridiculous to have enormous adult men doing the teapot on my porch, but most thought it was a hoot. One even danced and then walked away without candy.
Hahaha, that’s awesome.
are.you.kidding.me. This is the best thing I’ve heard all week.
Yes!!! Some of the kids were so rude last night– no thank you, no trick or treat, just take the candy and run! Sigh…
Yum. I love apples on pizza, as weird as they sound! We’re having the leftover butternut squash and apple pizza for dinner tonight…yay!
I always try to like fennel… But it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe one day… When pigs fly. I will definitely be making this soon as I have 99% of the ingredient already. When does that happen?! And back to those trick or treaters… I only got one? I see tons of kids runnig around my neighborhood… Do they just not want free candy? Guess that means more for me:)
I only had three trick or treaters, and they weren’t even in costume! No they weren’t teenagers, they couldn’t have been older than 10 years old. So lame, but I gave them candy anyway.
In other news, since I lack mounds of leftover candy (I didn’t buy any cause I usually don’t get any at my apt) this pizza is perfect.
love that pizza!
I totally agree with those kids! I couldn´t believe my eyes when they rang at my door last night, only 2 of them being dressed up, so ungrateful and really rude, too!
Flavor explosion is right!! mmmm Don’t apologize for using sage so much…it’s a completely underutilized herb! Now I seriously expect those 500 recipe by 5:00 on Friday. Do it.
First of all, this looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Now, onto those trick or treaters….I have a friend who recently told me what she does to the older crew that doesn’t really dress up, or as she put it…wears PJs and says they are a baby or something, or like you stated, regular clothes and a “scary” mask. She said she sits out front away from the porch light and has two different bowls. One, the regular halloween candy, the other individually wrapped prunes which you get if you failed to make any effort or are just too old. So if you only added a “scary” mask, wore pajamas, or are too old, PRUNE for you! I love it! We asked if her house ever gets egged and she said no because it’s dark enough that they can’t tell what she gave them so they don’t make the discovery until later.
Oh THAT is awesome.
I just pinned this…I love it as a Thanksgiving appetizer, cut into bite-sized pieces! Love sage, so bring it on!