Halloween Pizza with Grana Padano PDO and Pumpkin

This pizza recipe combines the creamy and rich flavor of Grana Padano with savory toppings like onions, shimeji mushrooms, bacon, and sweet pumpkin. It’s the perfect comfort food, with a crisp crust and deliciously melted cheese.

Ingredients

For the Pizza Dough:

• Strong flour (bread flour): 150g
• Dry yeast: 2g
• Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
• Raw sugar: 1 tablespoon
• Warm water (around 40°C): 100ml
• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon

For the Toppings:

• Pizza sauce: appropriate amount
• Onion: 1/2, thinly sliced
• Shimeji mushrooms: 60g, separated into small clusters
• Bacon: 50g, sliced into 5mm thick pieces
• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
• Salt and pepper: to taste
• Pumpkin: 80g, thinly sliced (about 2mm thick)
• Grana Padano: grated, to taste

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Instructions

1. Prepare the Dough: In a bowl, combine the strong flour, dry yeast, salt, and sugar. Stir well with chopsticks or a whisk until mixed.
2. Mix the Dough: Gradually add the warm water to the flour mixture and continue stirring. Add the olive oil and knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
3. Let the Dough Rise: Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
4. Prepare the Toppings: Slice the onion thinly, separate the shimeji mushrooms, and slice the bacon into 5mm thick pieces.
   Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté the onion until it softens, then add the bacon and shimeji mushrooms. Stir-fry for a few more minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Shape the Dough: Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a piece of parchment paper. Roll it out into a 24 cm round shape.
6. Assemble the Pizza: Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough. Add the sautéed onion, bacon, and shimeji mushroom mixture on top. Next, layer the thinly sliced pumpkin over the toppings. Grate a generous amount of Grana Padano over the entire pizza.
7. Bake: Preheat the oven to 270°C. Place the pizza on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crispy.