Butternut Squash and Guanciale Pizza
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 proprietary nine-ounce dough ball of 60-70 percent hydration
- Extra virgin olive oil for the pan and crust finish
- 4 ounces Fontina cheese
- 24 slices of braised butternut squash from recipe below*
- 3 ounces of guanciale, cut thin and then in small strips
- A handful of raw pistachios chopped rough
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup for the finish
Instructions
- Oil the pan with extra virgin olive oil.
- Toss or roll out the dough into a square shape, mimicking the size of a square pan, only larger.
- Place the dough in the pan, letting it rise up the side of the pan on each side approximately ½ inch.
- Starting in the middle, hold the dough from the side with both hands using your thumb and index fingers.
- Using your right hand, pull away from the left only a few inches to stretch the dough and bring the right dough back over the dough on the left to complete a fold, or “crimp.”
- Pinch this together to adhere.
- Move along the side of the pan, slowly repeating this move every inch or two.
- When you get to the corner, pull the dough up and into the corner, not letting it lower to the bottom.
- When finished, put both hands in the middle of the pan and stretch out to let the side dough relax and not cave in.
- When the dough has rested 10 to 15 minutes, oil the rest of the dough on the top side.
- Place the Fontina cheese all around the square pizza dough.
- Place the small guanciale slices over the cheese.
- Place the butternut squash slices in an overlapping fashion along the pizza.
- Let the pizza proof for another 10 minutes at room temperature of greater than 70 F.
- Bake in a 500-550 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the bottom of the panned dough is crisp and golden brown.
- Pull the pizza from the pan and plate.
- Toss the pistachio and drizzle the maple syrup on the pizza.
- You may want to brush the crust with extra virgin olive oil, more maple syrup or even guanciale fat for a shinier presentation with more flavor.