Let’s get something straight: pizza is for all seasons. But there’s no denying that the most traditional versions feature all the produce stars of summer: tomato and basil or peach and pesto? Delicious, yes, but not at all what I’m craving for the fall months. So, now that we’re a ways into October, it’s the perfect time to roll out the bacon, apple, and sweet potato pizza I’ve been perfecting for y’all.
If you’ve hung around here for a while, you know that I’m kind of into pizza, and very into experimenting with unconventional toppings. This one features sweet potatoes (quite possibly the world’s most perfect vegetable, IMHO), sliced thinly and roasted like yummy “chips,” plus thinly sliced apples, crispy bacon, pretty red onions, and that fried crispy sage that will be your new addiction. It all comes together for an autumnal pizza topping combo that’s a little decadent and a lot delicious, and I know you’re gonna love it. So, let’s grab our dough and go!
How to Assemble Your Pizza
Let’s start at the beginning: my easy homemade pizza dough recipe. I’ve made the same one for the past 10 years, with just a couple of small updates along the way. Usually, I have a ball of dough in the freezer, which I thaw in the fridge overnight, and then let rest on the counter for a couple of hours before it’s time to stretch. You want to get all the chill off of it so that the dough is perfectly pliable, without tearing.
Next, it’s time to stretch. Stretching your pizza dough, as opposed to rolling it out, allows you to form that delicious, chewy crust around the edges and allows me to create more of a round pizza shape. I follow the stretching technique described in the Gjelina cookbook:
“With your fingertips, punch the air out of the dough and press your fingers into the center and extend outward to shape the mass into a small disk. Continue to press your fingers and palm down on the center of the dough while turning with your other hand, pushing out the dough from the center but maintaining an airy rim around the perimeter. Continue stretching out the dough on the work surface with your hand by spreading your fingers as far as you can as you turn the dough… You are done stretching the dough when it is 10 to 12 inches in diameter and thin enough so that you can read a newspaper through it.”
Don’t forget to use plenty of flour when kneading and stretching your delicious dough!
Tips for Making the Best Sweet Potato Pizza
Yes, a sweet potato pizza is a bit unusual, and the key to keeping it flavor-packed and not at all heavy is to cut your sweet potato slices super thin, preferably on a mandoline. I also echoed those super thin slices by using my mandoline to cut my red onion and apple paper thin. The end result is a pizza with layers of fall flavor and a surprising combination in every bite. Just add creamy goat cheese and mozzarella, and crispy, smoky bacon and fried sage, and we’ve basically moved into fall heaven territory. Don’t be alarmed by the lack of pizza sauce—you won’t even notice the difference with all of the flavors going on here.
How to Make Fried Sage
Now for the pièce de résistance: fried sage leaves. I make these so frequently through the fall months that I might as well have a pan of hot olive oil going on the stove at all times. These dress up a plate of pasta, roasted butternut squash, or a whole roast chicken in one fell swoop, and they couldn’t be simpler. Here’s how to make fried sage:
- In a small sauté pan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan by 1/2″. Heat over medium-high until it sizzles when you add a drop of water.
- Carefully place sage leaves in a single layer in the oil. Fry for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a paper towel-lined plate. Top with another paper towel to press out excess oil. Eat as soon as possible while it’s still crispy and hot!
The Cheesy Topping
There’s something about goat cheese that feels very fall to me. Perhaps because it’s such a delightful complement to apples, pears, and winter squash. Here, it plays perfectly with all the cozy flavors. Even Adam (not the biggest goat cheese fan) didn’t take issue with it since the combination with creamy mozzarella cheese tamps down the strength of its flavor.
And there you have it: the bacon, apple, and sweet potato pizza I’ll be devouring through all of October and beyond. Yes, you can use a store-bought pizza crust and bake to keep prep time low, and yes, you can use a gluten-free crust or vegan cauliflower crust if that works better for you. As I’ve shared before, I’m a pizza lover through and through, and there are very few things you could do to a pizza that I wouldn’t love.
Can’t wait to hear if you give this one a try, and be sure to rate and review, and tag us @camillestyles on Instagram so we can see your version. Speaking of which, we need an official Camille Styles Pizza hashtag! Any suggestions?
Bacon, Apple, and Sweet Potato Pizza
Description
This sweet potato pizza with bacon, apple, and fried sage leaves is bursting with fall flavors. It’s an autumn pizza made for cozy nights.
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough (enough to make 10 – 12″ pizza)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled
- 1 apple, peeled
- 1/2 red onion, peel discarded
- 2 or 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 ounces mozzarella
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles
- 12 sage leaves
- flaky salt, like Maldon
Instructions
- Preheat pizza stone on the bottom rack of a 500 F oven for at least 20 minutes.
- Make garlic butter by combining minced garlic, melted butter, and olive oil. Set aside.
- On a mandoline, thinly slice sweet potato, apple, and red onion. Set aside.
- On a well-floured pizza peel, stretch your pizza dough to a 10 – 12″ round. (Read how to stretch dough above, or watch me do it here.)
- Spread garlic butter in a thin layer on top of your pizza, evenly distributing the garlic. Top with bacon, sweet potato, apple, and a few red onion slices.
- Tear mozzarella and toss over the ingredients, then sprinkle on goat cheese crumbles.
- Quickly open the oven door, and slide your pizza onto the hot pizza stone—work fast so that the oven loses as little heat as possible. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make fried sage: In a small sauté pan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan by 1/2″. Heat over medium-high until it sizzles when you add a drop of water.
- Carefully place sage leaves in a single layer in the oil. Fry for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a paper towel-lined plate. Top with another paper towel to press out excess oil.
- When the pizza is golden brown on the edges and the cheese is melted, use your pizza peel to slide it out of the oven.
- Slice into wedges, then top your pizza with fried sage leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and flaky salt. Eat!
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Can this be made without a pizza stone or a pizza wheel? What could be substituted?
Yes! Any pizza pan will work.