Bacon Obsession

This past year we switched from thick cut bacon strips to bacon bits. . .I know it sounds like we downgraded, but we haven't. We started buying these fabulous bacon crumbles at Costco (they're actually real bacon) and adding them into recipes, no frying involved! We use them in many breakfast recipes as well as quite a few dinner and pasta dishes. Sometime soon I'm going to incorporate them into buttermilk maple donut bars, you'll know when I do. 


When I'm really craving bacon I whip up a Bacon Lovers Pan Pizza; Canadian bacon and an obscene amount of bacon crumbles and cheese. Who says American Pizza isn't good? I beg to differ!  Here's my recipe. 

• Ingredients (makes 1 20-inch pizza or 1 16x21 inch rectangular pizza)
• Dough:
• 1  1/3 cup warm water (105 -110 degrees)
• 1/4 cup of dry milk (powered milk, can use non-fat)
• 2  teaspoons yeast 
• • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon white sugar (optional)
• 2 Tablespoon oil (veg., canola or olive oil)
• 3 1/2 Tablespoon oil to coat bottom and sides of pan.
• 
  
•  
• Pizza Sauce:
• 1-8 ounce can of tomato sauce 
• 1 teaspoon oregano or 1 Tablespoon of fresh oregano 

1/2 teaspoon marjoram or 1 teaspoon of fresh marjoram

• • 1/2 teaspoon basil or 1 teaspoon of fresh basil (I like the big leaf variety)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of powdered garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 Tablespoon of garlic paste
  • 1 Tablespoon of basil pesto

Toppings:
4 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of romano or asigo cheese
20 slices of Canadian Bacon
1 cup bacon crumbles
1 cup pineapple chunks
4 large basil leaves, torn to medium pieces


*If you opt for prepackaged shredded cheese, please try the Sargento's brand of Italian cheese mix, it actually tastes like cheese. ;)

Directions

1. Mix warm water, yeast, salt, dry milk, oil and sugar in large bowl. Mix well and slowly add flour 1 cup at a time. Kneed it well by hand (about 5 to 10 minutes). Cover with warm damp cloth.
2. Roll dough into a 20inch circle. Spread dough out onto heavily greased (about 3 1/2 Tablespoons) round pizza pan.  Cover with warm damp cloth and let rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Spread pesto and garlic paste onto the dough. Then liberally add the sauce and 1/2 of the cheeses, see figures 1 & 2.
4. Add the layer of Candian bacon, then more cheese. Add the pineapple and basil. Add the bacon crumbles. Top off with the rest of cheeses.
5. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Bake until cheese bubbles and crust turns a nice golden brown. About 30 minutes but really depends on how many toppings you put on, so check after 15 minutes and 5 minute intervals after. Slice, top with Parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired. 

I barely contained myself long enough to take a photo!