Pizza Bianca with Arugula, Bacon, and Mushrooms

Barbara Adkins likes to include more contemporary items, like this white cheese-topped pizza, with her Southern-accented buffet. A couple of slices also make a nice light dinner, especially with a salad or soup.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1  package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces), divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• 2  teaspoons  yellow cornmeal
• 
  Topping:
• 2  slices center-cut bacon
• 1/2  cup  thinly sliced white onion
• 1  (8-ounce) package whole button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1  tablespoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2  cup  part-skim ricotta
• 2  cups  baby arugula
• 1/3  cup  (1 1/2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning dough to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.

Preheat oven to 450°.

To prepare topping, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 2 teaspoons of bacon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender and moisture evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Drizzle oil over dough; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place pan on lowest oven rack; bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove from oven; spread ricotta evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. Arrange onion mixture and arugula evenly over ricotta. Sprinkle with bacon, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cut into wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

115 (32% from fat)

Fat:

4.1g (sat 1.6g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:

5g

Carbohydrate:

14.5g

Fiber:

0.8g

Cholesterol:

7mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

190mg

Calcium:

70mg