Breakfast Pizza

I love breakfast.

I love pizza.

And so when the New York Times ran an article that included a recipe for something called "Breakfast Pizza" from the Big Sur Bakery cookbook, well, let's just say they had me at hello. Yes, that IS an egg you see in the middle of that pizza in the picture. There's also bacon, and mozzarella cheese, and chopped parsley and scallions, all nestled onto a scrumptious and easy to make pizza crust. I've reprinted the recipe below the way it appeared in the paper, but I have to be honest and say I don't own a pizza peel, or a pizza stone, or anything else with the word pizza in the title, with the exception of my beloved Oxo pizza cutter, which I use to cut pizza, brownies, pie crust and anything else that needs to be cut in a straight line. So for this pizza, I cooked it on a garden variety cookie sheet and it came out just fine, so if you don't have all that fancy pizza stuff, don't let it stop you from making this scrumptious pizza. (How many times can you use the word "pizza" in one innocent paragragh? Um...a lot?)

Let me be very clear...this still won't stop me from eating slices of cold leftover pizza for breakfast whenever I get the chance...but this is a great option for making pizza specifically for the breakfast table. Or dinner. Or lunch. You get my drift...

Pizza. Pizza. Pizza.

Breakfast Pizza, from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

½ teaspoon dry active yeast

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons

bread flour, plus more for dusting

Kosher salt

6 strips bacon

½ cup grated Parmesan

2 cups grated mozzarella

6 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons minced chives

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 shallot, minced.

1. The night before, prepare the dough: place ¾ cup lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle in the yeast, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to high and mix until a smooth dough forms, about 2 minutes more. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two equal pieces and form each half into a tight ball. Place on a large floured sheet pan, place the pan in a plastic garbage bag, tie the bag loosely and refrigerate overnight.

2. One hour before baking, place the dough in a warm spot. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and set a pizza stone on it (if you have one - if not a heavy duty cookie sheet works fine). Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

3. Fry the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Cool on a paper-towel-lined plate; roughly chop.

4. Dip your hands and a ball of dough into the flour. On a lightly floured countertop, pat the dough into a disc with your fingertips, then drape the dough over your fists and carefully stretch it from beneath to form a 12-inch circle.

5. Generously dust the surface of a pizza peel or large inverted sheet pan with flour and place the stretched dough on it. Sprinkle the dough with half of the Parmesan, mozzarella and bacon. Crack 3 eggs over the top and season with salt and pepper.

6. Shake the pizza peel or pan slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. Carefully lift any sections that are sticking and sprinkle a bit more flour underneath, then slide the pizza directly onto the baking stone or cookie sheet in one quick forward-and-back motion. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. When the crust is golden, the cheese is melted and the egg yolks are cooked, transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle half of the parsley, chives, scallions and shallot on top. Let cool for 2 minutes, slice and serve immediately. Prepare the second pizza in the same way. Makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas.