Caramelized Onion Melty Cheese (Printable)
A golden crust topped with sweet caramelized onions and rich melted cheeses for a savory treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 lb fresh pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
02 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour for dusting
→ Caramelized Onions
03 - 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 1/2 tsp sugar
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
→ Cheese & Toppings
10 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
11 - 1/2 cup shredded fontina or Gruyère cheese
12 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
→ Assembly
14 - 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing crust
15 - Fresh arugula or basil leaves for garnish
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 475°F and place pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside to heat thoroughly.
02 - Melt butter with olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and sugar. Cook stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. Stir in black pepper and balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat.
03 - On lightly floured surface, stretch or roll pizza dough into 12-inch circle. Transfer to parchment paper.
04 - Brush dough lightly with olive oil. Spread caramelized onions evenly over base. Sprinkle mozzarella, fontina or Gruyère, and Parmesan cheeses over onions. Top with thyme if desired.
05 - Carefully slide pizza with parchment onto preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
06 - Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh arugula or basil if desired. Slice and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The onions become candy sweet and deeply savory, a flavor you cant achieve any other way
- Three cheeses create that perfect pull apart effect everyone loves
02 -
- Rushing the caramelization process is the biggest mistake you can make with this recipe
- Letting the oven fully preheat with the stone inside makes the difference between soft and crisp crusts
03 -
- Parchment paper makes transferring the pizza to the hot stone completely foolproof
- The extra 2 minutes of cooling time helps the cheese set slightly for cleaner slices