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John's Adequate Food

USA Pizza Cup Winner Square Pie With Bacon Jam and Hot Honey

Recipe Image

This is, in my opinion, the best pizza you can make in a home oven. This recipe features a crust that manages to be light and pillowy while also being zero-flop crispy. A cheddar cheese rim, fresh basil, bacon jam, and hot honey push this pizza over the top. I am usually skeptical of "maximlaist" recipes like this, but trust me when I say this combination of flavors just works. This is my adaptation of a recipe form Peter Reinhart's book "Pizza Quest." You should buy that book here.

Ingredients

Dough

Sauce

Bacon Jam

Toppings

Instructions

  1. At least 24 hours in advance, start making the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine 482g of water (slightly warm to touch), 12g of kosher salt, and 3g of instant yeast. Give it a stir until the salt particles are fully dissolved. Add 595g of bread flour. Mix using a stand mixer on slow for 30 seconds (working with your hands for 60 seconds also works well). Add 28g of olive oil. Mix for 60 seconds on medium speed (or 2 minutes by hand). Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to hydrate. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 30 more seconds. The dough should now be soft, wet, and sticky. Use about a teaspoon of oil to make a 15 inch oil slick on a work surface. Stretch and fold the dough 4 times, then cover with the mixing bowl for 5 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold, cover, and let rest another 5 minutes. Perform a final stretch and fold before placing the dough into an oiled, covered container and resting in the fridge for 24 to 72 hours.
  2. About 4 or 5 hours before you plan to eat, take out the dough from the fridge and divide into four 255g pieces. I recommend a metal pan for baking. I personally use a 9x9 metal pan. Use olive oil to coat the inside of the pan. I recommend you trace out the pan on parchment paper and place the fitted piece of parchment on the bottom of the pan. Oil the pan again and place the dough into the pan. Use your fingers to dimple and stretch the dough as best you can to the size of the pan. You won't be able to fill the pan right away. Cover the pan and repeat this dimpling process 2 more times at 20 minute intervals. The dough will expand and relax. Cover for the remaining 4 hours.
  3. While the dough is rising, make the bacon jam. Lay out 16oz of bacon on a sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes at 375 F. Drain the liquid fat onto a frying pan over medium heat. Dice 2 yellow onions and add to the pan. Stir periodically for 20 minutes. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and stir. Decrease heat to medium-low and cook for 25 to 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Dice up the bacon and add to the mixture. This can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container.
  4. Make the sauce by combining 28oz of whole or crushed tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons minced basil, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste). If using crushed tomatoes, you can just add this to a container and stir vigorously. If using whole tomatoes, I recommend adding to a blender and blending until just combined (usually 4-5 quick pulses is enough). I recommend using high quality tomatoes. Whole peeled san marzanos are a good choice. Bianco DiNapoli are great if you can find them. Cento are a "good enough" option that can be found in most grocery stores.
  5. Preheat the oven to 500 F for at least 45 minutes. In my experience most ovens are "optimistic" and say they are preheated before they actually are. Put a pan with prepared dough in the oven to par bake the crust. I usually leave it in for 10-14 minutes. Once the timer hits 10 minutes, I recommend watching it until the top is just beginning to barely brown. When in doubt, take it out. Remove it from the oven and transfer the par baked crust to a cooling wrack or cutting board. Remove the parchment from the bottom and discard (or save for future pizzas). Let the crust and pan cool for at least 5 minutes. Apply a new, light coat of oil to the pan and put the crust in. You will observe the crust has shrunk and there is a small gap between the sides of the pan and the crust. Press the shredded cheddar cheese into this gap to make a collar. Add sauce to the center of the pie to taste. In my experience, new pizza makers apply way too much sauce. When I feel there "just isn't quite enough", that's usually about right. Cover the cheese in a light dusting of shredded parm, then add shredded mozz. Place in the oven, still at 500 F, for 5 minutes. Quickly remove the pizza from the oven, added bacon jam in a few good dollops, then return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. A good indicator is when you start getting brown spots on the mozz. Remove from the oven and let the pizza firm up in the pan for 3 - 5 minutes. When the cheddar collar has settled, transfer to a cutting board.
  6. I like to cut the pizza into serving slices/squares and then spoon a dollop of whipped ricotta and some shredded basil on top. Finally, I drizzle hot honey in streaks over the top.