My sweet mother turns 90 on April 11. We love her dearly and we wish her a great birthday! Jim and I are traveling to Asia next Friday and we will be out of town for her actual birthday, so we celebrated her day early this year. My cousins and my brother came to Atlanta for a pre-birthday visit and then we traveled to Mississippi for the celebration.
While the brother and cousins were here, we invited friends over and made pizza. The pear and blue cheese pizza was a hit so I wanted to feature it on the blog. What can I say about fruit and cheese other than I’m crazy about the combination! Call me weird, but I LOVE melted cheddar cheese on apple pie. I also make delicious pear and cheddar scones. Now, add this pizza combination to my list of favorite things.
As I’ve said in another post, pizza provides a blank canvas for any kind of toppings you can imagine. If you like blue cheese, I think you’ll love this pizza. Try this recipe, and add pizza to your regular dinner rotation. On a weekend, make a triple batch of dough. The dough keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer. Making the dough takes time, but once the dough is made, assembling and baking the pizza takes minutes. With everyone’s busy schedules, pizza can be a quick and healthy dinner.
Ingredients
1 packet dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the bowl
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3-4 pears, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup arugula leaves
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
1. Add yeast, honey, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to warm water and whisk to dissolve. Let stand until a thin layer of foam appears at the top of the water.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Pour yeast mixture into the bowl and mix well with a large spoon.
3. Flour a clean, dry counter space. Form dough into a ball and knead for about 8 minutes. If using a mixer, put dry ingredients into the mixer bowl and add yeast mixture. Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until all ingredients are incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and knead for 6 minutes.
4. Coat the inside of a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Roll dough ball around in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover with a damp dish towel and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. Punch dough down and refrigerate in plastic wrap for 1 hour.
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add sliced pears to the butter and saute for 3 minutes, tossing regularly.
3. Roll dough into a 12 to 14 inch circle, depending on whether you like the crust thicker or thinner. Place dough on pizza pan or stone.
4. Spread grated mozzarella over dough. Place pear slices on top of cheese in an even pattern. Top with Gorgonzola crumbles. Drizzle pizza with olive oil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until crust and cheese are lightly browning.
5. Top pizza with arugula leaves and serve immediately.
https://southernboydishes.com/2013/03/25/pear-and-gorgonzola-pizza/You may also like:
- Roasted Cauliflower and Fennel Soup - November 8, 2015
- Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili{+ a Cookbook Giveaway} - October 27, 2015
- Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Stew with Turkey Sausage - October 16, 2015
If you just read the comment I left on the apple and cheese sandwich you’ll know why I’m laughing right now – is it a southern thing to like melted cheese on apple pie? 🙂 Pear and gorgonzola is such a perfect pairing and how clever it is to put it on a pizza! Love it!
Best combo ever! Thanks for the recipe!
Your pizza looks absolutely fantastic! I love the gorgonzola and pear combination.
Happy 90th birthday to your mom! That is awesome.
Your pizza looks delicious. What I like is that it is a just a few simple ingredients
(sweet with a kick from the arugula).
Enjoy your trip to Asia.
Velva