Goat Cheese and Sage Pizza with Pumpkin Crust #PumpkinWeek

Brown butter sauce, caramelized shallots, goat cheese, crispy sage, toasted walnuts, pumpkin pizza dough – do I really need to give you more reasons to make this pizza?

Today is the kickoff of the 2017 #PumpkinWeek hosted by Terri of Love and Confections and I’m shaking things up by making a pizza with a pumpkin crust! It’s been so stinking long since I’ve made pizza new pizza recipe! While I realize I made a pumpkin pizza for the 2015 #PumpinWeek, that was two years ago and this is a totally different pizza.

With all the varieties of pizza dough I’ve made, I cannot believe it took me this long to think of adding pumpkin puree to the dough. And dude look at that color! While the flavor ended up being subtle, the consistency was perfection. This might become my go-to fall pizza crust recipe. But let’s take this one pizza at a time and focus on today’s magnificent creation.

There is no sauce on this pizza, at least not in the tradition way. I brushed the dough with a bit of olive oil before sprinkling caramelized shallots on top, followed by Mozzarella, goat cheese, and walnuts. Then while the pizza cooked, I whipped up a sage-brown butter to act as a topping-sauce to drizzle over the hot pizza before slicing and serving. The nutty bits of browned milk fat precipitated from the butter combined with the fresh aromas of the sage which end up getting crispy in the butter is what dreams are made of.

Here are today’s #PumpkinWeek recipes:

Pumpkin Drink Recipes:

Pumpkin Pie Moscow Mule from Love and Confections.

Savory Pumpkin Recipes:

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce from Hardly A Goddess.
Goat Cheese and Sage Pizza with Pumpkin Crust from The Spiffy Cookie.
Kaddo Bowrani (Afghan Pumpkin with Yoghurt Sauce) from Caroline’s Cooking.
Pickled Pumpkin with Sage and Autumn Spices from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.
Pumpkin Beer Bread from Forking Up.
Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup with Herbed Croutons from The Crumby Kitchen.
Pumpkin Chili from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.
Pumpkin Corn Chowder with Shrimp from Kudos Kitchen by Renee.
Pumpkin Focaccia Bread from Cookaholic Wife.
Pumpkin Ravioli with Parmesan Sage Cream Sauce from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.
Pumpkin Rosemary Hummus with Sizzled Garlic from Amy’s Cooking Adventures.
Pumpkin Stew with Chicken and Black Beans from Palatable Pastime.

Sweet Pumpkin Recipes:

Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from The Redhead Baker.
Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Cooking with Carlee.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake from Daily Dish Recipes.
Jumbo Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping from Family Around The Table.
Pumpkin Blondies from It Bakes Me Happy.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars from The Bitter Side of Sweet.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake from The Chef Next Door.
Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Bars from The Nifty Foodie.
Pumpkin Madeleines from Mildly Meandering.
Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites from Making Miracles.
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal from Seduction in the Kitchen.
Pumpkin Pie Tassies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings.
Pumpkin Scones from The Freshman Cook.
Pumpkin Spice Donuts from A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Pumpkin Spice Donuts from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks.
Pumpkin Zucchini Streusel Bread from An Affair from the Heart.
Ridiculously Good Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake from Bacon Fatte.

One year ago: Weekly Meal Plan #32

Three years ago: Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios, Cranberries & Parmesan

Four years ago: Tofu Lettuce Wraps With Cashew Sauce

Five years ago: Mini Pumpkin Black and White Cookies

GOAT CHEESE AND SAGE PIZZA WITH PUMPKIN CRUST

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

DOUGH

1 pkg. active dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp)

1 tsp honey

1/4 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Olive oil

Yellow corn meal

TOPPINGS

1 stick + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1-1/2 tsp sugar

1-1/2 tsp red wine veingar

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 oz. Mozzarella, shredded

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup walnuts pieces, toasted

1 bunch fresh sage leaves

Directions:

1. For the dough, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir 1-1/4 cups flour, pumpkin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface or use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. 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.
2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with coil, turning dough to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. When the dough is almost done rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees, with pizza stone* on the lowest rack.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes,stirring occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir well. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven.
5. When the dough is ready, punch down, cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into desired shape on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal*. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.
6. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Evenly distribute the shallots and top with mozzarella, goat cheese, and walnuts. Transfer pizza to pizza stone* n oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden and crust is crispy.
7. While the pizza cooks, prepare the brown butter and sage. In a medium pot over high heat, melt a stick of butter. Once melted, add the sage leaves and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter is a medium golden brown and smells nutty, and the sage leaves are crispy. Add salt to taste.
8. Remove pizza from the oven and top immediately with the sage brown butter (may not use it all). Slice and serve.

*Can also use a regular pizza or baking pan

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original, crust adapted from my Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough.