With less than a month to go until the Feb. 3 Super Bowl in New Orleans, we know you’re already making plans. And for those who are hosting parties, here’s an original idea that pays homage to Indiana’s past. Even better? It’s a pizza with an Indianapolis Colts theme.
Onion Pie Pizza is a modern take on Onion Pie, a traditional dish brought to Indiana by its Eastern European immigrants. Onion Pie was typically served as a side dish with dinner. In this recipe, the Onion Pie of lore becomes an Onion Pie Pizza — perfect for an accompanying Samuel Adams brew.
In fact, Samuel Adams Brewing Manager Jennifer Glanville suggests Samuel Adams Boston Lager as a perfect pairing for the Indianapolis Onion Pie Pizza. She says the distinct caramel notes from the malt in the beer emphasize the sweetness in both the ricotta cheese and the onion. Boston Lager’s crisp, citrusy hop notes also help cleanse the palate of the richness from the cheeses, while the beer’s complexity balances the lingering tangy character from the black olives and a sharp, nutty note from the grated cheese.
Here are recipes for the Indianapolis Onion Pie Pizza, Samuel Adams Boston Lager-Infused Pizza Crust, and New Orleans Big Game Pizza:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10-15 minutes depending on your oven and desired doneness
Preheat: Oven to 500ºF
• 1 risen ball of Samuel Adams Boston Lager-Infused Dough (approx. 16 oz.)
• About 1/2 cup (4 oz.) whole milk ricotta
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into little cubes
• About 1/2 cup (2 oz.) chopped onion
• About 1 cup loosely packed (4 oz.) whole milk mozzarella
• 1/2 cup (about 1 oz.) sliced black olives
• 2 tablespoons (1/2 oz.) grated cheese (i.e., parmesan or Romano cheese)
• Extra virgin olive oil for oiling your cookie sheet, pizza pan, or screen
Mix ricotta, butter, onions, and mozzarella. Set aside. Stretch dough to desired diameter (12” thicker, 14” thinner), and lay on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, pizza pan, or screen. Apply an even layer of ricotta mixture to about 1/2” from the border of crust. Evenly sprinkle on the grated cheese to the very border of the crust. Arrange sliced black olives on your pizza to resemble a horseshoe. Bake for 10-15 minutes until your toppings are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Out of the oven, let rest a few minutes. Then cut, serve and enjoy.
Makes: Two crusts to be dressed and baked on a cookie sheet or pizza pan
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rise time: Between 1-2 hours in a warm spot (about 70ºF to 80ºF)
Bake time: 10-15 minutes depending on your oven, toppings, and desired doneness
Preheat: Oven to 500ºF
For a thicker crust, stretch to 12” and cook on cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza screen.
For a thinner crust, stretch to 14” and cook on cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza screen.
• Approx. 3½ cups (20 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 1 packet instant yeast (i.e., highly active or bread machine yeast)
• 1 tablespoon (.65 oz.) fine granulation salt
• 1 tablespoon (.55 oz.) extra virgin olive oil plus more for greasing your rising container and oiling your cookie sheet, pizza pan, or screen
• 12 oz. bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager warmed up to 120ºF-130ºF
Warm the beer to 120ºF-130ºF (warming the beer properly means your yeast will activate properly). Warm the bottle in a bowl of very warm (not boiling water) or by running it under hot water from the tap. A thermometer insures success — if you don’t have one handy, the beer should feel very warm (not too hot) to the touch. In a 5-quart or larger bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, and oil. Add beer to flour mixture, and stir with a fork (not stirring with your hands just yet — it’s too sticky at first) until the dough is lumpy. Then, go in with your hands. The dough will now still be a little sticky, so gradually add flour as you knead (press down, push, fold, and repeat) to the point that the finished dough should be just slightly tacky and elastic. To tell when the dough is done, periodically poke it, and when the dough gently springs back after you poke it, it is done. Don’t worry if it is not perfectly smooth — don’t overknead it!
Your finished dough, if you have a scale, will weigh right around 2 pounds (30-34 oz.). Break into two equal pieces — use a scale or eyeball it. Ball each piece up and place each in a separate airtight container lightly greased with olive oil. Each container needs to be at least a quart in size to allow for each dough ball to double in size (deli quart containers work great for this). Set dough aside to rise in a warm location, about 70ºF to 80ºF is good. After dough has expanded/up to doubled in size (about 1-2 hours), gently remove from container and stretch to fit on a lightly greased 12” or 14” cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza screen. Dress it to resemble a horseshoe and bake in a 500ºF preheated oven until your crust and toppings are to your desired doneness (about 10 to 15 minutes). Out of the oven, allow a few minutes to cool. Then cut, serve, and enjoy.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10-15 minutes depending on your oven and desired doneness
Preheat: Oven to 500ºF
• 1 risen ball of Samuel Adams Boston Lager Infused Dough (approx. 16 oz.)
• 5 oz. (about 1/2 cup) of your favorite pizza sauce
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite Louisiana style hot sauce!
• About 1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) diced yellow bell pepper
• About 1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) diced red onion
• About 1 cup loosely packed (4 oz.) shredded whole milk mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons (1/2 oz.) grated cheese (i.e., parmesan or Romano cheese)
• 6 leaves of fresh basil sliced into fine strands
• Extra virgin olive oil plus more for oiling your cookie sheet, pizza pan, or screen plus more for drizzling on finished pizza
Mix pizza sauce and hot sauce. Set aside. Stretch dough to desired diameter (12” thicker, 14” thinner), and lay on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, pizza pan, or screen. Swirl on sauce mixture to about 1/2” from the border of crust. In this order: evenly distribute mozzarella, then yellow pepper, then red onion all to about 1/2” from the border of crust. Evenly sprinkle on the grated cheese to the very border of the crust. Bake for 10-15 minutes until your toppings are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Out of the oven, add basil, and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let rest a few minutes, and then cut, serve, and enjoy.
NOTE: The concept behind this pizza is based on the classic Italian Margherita pizza: tomato sauce (red) + mozzarella (white) + basil (green) = the colors of the Italian flag. The colors on the New Orleans Big Game pizza: red onion (purple) + basil (green) + yellow pepper (gold) = colors representative of New Orleans and Mardi Gras.
All recipes by Mark Bello, www.pizzaschool.com.
