Breakfast Pizza

This was pure loveliness in every sense of the word.  Two of my favorite things rolled into one delicious dish!  Relatively quick, easy, and it produced tons of yummy sounds when served.  I'm sure there's many out there in the great big world who are big breakfast fans.  If you were to offer me a huge  surf and turf buffet or a glorious breakfast buffet, I bet you can tell which one I'd choose.  Breakfast for sure.  Easter Sunday for this little family of mine was wonderful.  James only had a few church meetings early on, and was able to attend all of our regular meetings with the fam.  Granted he doesn't sit next to us, but I can smile at him up front, and he smiles right back.  It's nice to see him:) Church got out early, and we had decided Easter Brunch was in order.  I had seen this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks prior, and decided it was the perfect meal for Easter.

I have a favorite Pizza Crust recipe here, that only requires a little advanced thinking.  The night before the dough needs to be stirred together, but that's it.  The day of, all that is needed is topping prep, assembly, and a quick bake and breakfast is served.  I can't think of anything better for a Mother's Day brunch.  Serve with some fresh fruit, or a Green Lemonade, maybe some bacon or sausage, a Ratatouille would be awesome, and some fresh Rice Pudding for dessert.  Oh that sounds soooo good!  Your mom will love your guts even more than she does now.  Or if you're in the same shoes as me and will be preparing your own Mother's Day meal, this menu is easy, and quick.  I hope you like it as much as I do:)  xoxoxo

Breakfast Pizza

recipe adapted from this recipe from the New York Times

Dough

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine Mar. 2012

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups (1000 grams) all-purpose flour plus more for shaping dough

4 teaspoons fine sea salt plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

3 c. warm water

Toppings (create your own)

Olive oil

eggs (I used 4 on each of the 2 pizzas I made)

4-6 slices of bacon chopped per pizza (I pre cooked the bacon slightly to give it a start.  It finished perfectly in the oven since the heat is so high.)

Any other sort of favorite toppings:

sun dried tomatoes

fresh tomatoes

olives

thin sliced red or other waxy potato

prosciutto

crumbled sausage.....the list goes on and on

Preparation

Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 3 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature (about 72°) in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, about 18 hours (time will vary depending on the temperature in the room).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 6 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions.

Let dough rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and chill. Unwrap and let rest at room temperature on a lightly floured work surface, covered with plastic wrap, for 2–3 hours before shaping.

To Make the Pizzas

During the last hour of dough's resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10"–12" disk or in my case I tried to spread the dough as big as my cookie sheet.  You can do individual pizzas or 2 family sized pizzas.

Top pizzas.  Here's what I topped my pizza with:  A light drizzle of Olive oil

I cracked 4-5 eggs on top of the dough

Sprinkled the par cooked chopped bacon

liberal salt and pepper

*(Here's my tip inserted here.  I didn't use a pizza peel or a pizza stone.  We formed our pizzas on a silver cookie sheet and called it good.  They turned out amazing and crisp and blistered.  So don't worry if you don't have a pizza stone.)  

Bake pizza, rotating halfway, until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, 5–7 minutes. 

At this point I took the pizza out of the oven and drizzled about 1/4 c. cream over the surface of the pizza and sprinkled 1/4-1/2 c. of Parmesan cheese on top.  Return to the oven for 1-2 minute until cream and cheese are bubbly.  Top the cooked pizza with fresh sliced green onions and serve. 

A New Favorite

Of all the meals in the world I think I like breakfast food most.  Not so much cereal (except for those new super little frosted mini wheats--they're lovely!) but all other breakfast foods.  When James and I are on vacation my favorite meal is the Sunday Brunch that we always seem to pay way to much for, but it is so worth it.  We have had some amazing breakfasts, and some quite memorable ones too.  Last Oct. James and I and 3 of the jogging gals and their hubs all went to Kona for a week of sun and relaxing.  It was so dang fun!!  It always seems especially fun when you have someone with you that has never been to Hawaii.  Everything is magical there and to see someone experience it for the first time is the best.  Every morning we would all go for a long walk and then back at the condo Shaun was the short order cook for breakfast.   Maybe that's why I loved the trip.  I don't think I had to fix anything.  The guys were super cooks.   Norski's, perfect egg on toast, yogurt, pineapple.....Shaun you're invited always.  Did I ever tell you thank you enough! 

 On Sunday we found church in a cute little town, and after we found a yummy little Sunday brunch.  It was in a fun old building that was so quaint,  and since the trip I have heard it is also haunted.  There wasn't a huge selection of food, but it was good food and we were having such a good time.  After we got our plates, one of the girls asked for ketchup for her eggs.  You would have thought we spit in the chocolate fountain or something as disturbing.  The server was offended deeply, but brought back a teeny, weeny sample of ketchup begrudgingly.  Collette asked for a little more  since it wasn't just her that wanted the obscene red sauce.  She asked very politely I might add.  The waitress rolled her eyes in disgust, huffed a huge sigh, and brought back an enormous bowl of the offensive sauce.  She wouldn't come back to help us, but instead talked about us to the other servers, and glared from the other end of the room.  If you could have seen it.  I'm afraid we got the giggles.  We had done it.  The country bumpkins and our ketchup had upset the circle of life for eggs in Hawaii.  Needless to say we learned that if ketchup isn't on the table don't ask.  You're supposed to eat your eggs naked I guess or you will be perceived as a heathen!  Lesson learned, and a funny memory that comes up every once in a while jogging still:)

(can you see the offensive little bowl of ketchup?)

Today's recipe is an old breakfast favorite with a little update.  James' sister Wendy introduced us to this breakfast casserole quite a few years ago, but when I made it on Memorial Day I added just the right little something.  I love this casserole because it isn't the standard with bread chunks, or hashbrowns.  It is a bit special.  I love making a big pan of this and then eating it all week long.  I usually just reheat it in the microwave and place it on an English Muffin or toast.  Yum!!  The twist this last week came from the roasted veggies on top.  I love roasted veggies at dinner, and I had some leftovers from Sunday dinner.  All you do is take asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, and onions and cut them in long strips.  Like carrot stick size.  Put them on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place uncovered in a 425' F oven and let roast for about 20-30 mins.  I especially love asparagus like this.  I don't cook it any other way any more.  You eat it hot out of the oven with a sprinkling of Parmesan if you want.  The left over veggies were perfect on top of the eggs.  I loved it and might I add there were many yummy sounds at my house that morning!  (love it when that happens!)

Wendy's Breakfast Casserole

12 slices Canadian Bacon ( I just used the deli ham I had for sandwiches)

12 slices Swiss Cheese (I used cheddar because that's all I had.  It is best with Swiss though)

12-14 eggs

In a greased 9x13 pan layer ham and then cheese and top with the eggs.  Don't scramble, but do pop the yolks after all the eggs are in the pan.  Make sure that the cheese is covered with egg.  Of course you could use whatever cheese you have, and whatever ham you have.  It works well with left over Sunday hams too.  Cover and bake the casserole in a 375' oven for about 20 mins. until the eggs are slightly set.  Add:

1 c. cream 

1 c. parmesan cheese

Stir these together and poor over the egg mixture.  This is where I added the left over roasted veggies.  Place back in the oven and bake another 15 mins.  Take out of the oven and let sit for a few minutes.  Serve with fruit, and french toast, or make it into egg McMuffins.  It is really dang good!