Pizza Two Ways

Well, I had bought pizza dough for last night's leftovers, but realized I could use up the French bread instead, so tonight we are having some pizzas I have been wanting to try.  I have  to say they were pretty yummy. I thought I would not love the salad with  apples on the pizza,  but it was really delicious.  I did a few things differently.  I didn't make the dough for the Fontina one; I worked thyme into the dough I bought from the bakery.  I also crushed up the tomatoes in the Gouda pizza.  I would have been OK with whole, but my husband isn't a fan, so when they came out of the oven, I mushed them up a bit with a wooden spoon.  I also didn't make individual pizzas, just two big ones. (less time consuming) Oh and I used olive oil in place of the grapeseed.  I wasn't buying an expensive bottle of oil I don't have any uses for.

Fontina, Prosciutto And Caramelized Onion Pizzas     

            DOUGH
1    envelope active dry yeast
1 c  warm water
 Pinch of sugar
1 t  extra-virgin olive oil
1 t  chopped thyme
1 t  salt
 About 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
           TOPPINGS
3 T  extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb white onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 lb Italian Fontina cheese sliced
8    thin slices of prosciutto
2 T  grapeseed oil
1 T  white truffle oil
2 T  sherry vinegar
1    apple—peeled,cored and cut into matchsticks
4    ounces arugula (6 cups)
[Note: For their delectably crusty and chewy pizzas, Top Chef
contestants Betty Fraser and Cliff Crooks adapted a bread recipe from
star chef Jamie Oliver ]
1. MAKE THE DOUGH In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the water and
sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil,
thyme and salt. Add 2 cups of the flour and stir until a very soft, wet
dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and
knead, working in about 1/3 cup more flour, until the dough is soft and
silky. Shape into a ball and put in a large, oiled bowl. Cover and let
rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour at room temperature or
overnight in the refrigerator.
2. MAKE THE TOPPINGS Preheat the oven to 450. Oil 2 large baking
sheets.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and stir
to coat with the oil. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring,
until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook the
onions over high heat until golden brown, about 8 minutes longer. If
the onions dry out, add a few tablespoons of water. Season the onions
with salt and pepper, transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
3. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work
surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece out to a
9-by-3-inch rectangle and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. Top
the dough with the Fontina, sauted onions and prosciutto. Bake for 25
minutes, or until golden and crisp.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the grapeseed oil, truffle oil and vinegar;
season with salt and pepper. Add the apple and arugula and toss. Top
the hot pizzas with the salad and serve immediately.

Pizza With Charred Cherry Tomatoes And Pesto 
3/4 lb cherry tomatoes
1/4 c  panko (Japanese bread crumbs)                                            
2    garlic cloves,thinly sliced
1    shallot,thinly sliced
5    basil leaves,torn
2 T  extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pizza Dough
3/4 c  coarsely grated aged Gouda (3 ounces)
 6 T  freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
           -cheese
           Basil Pesto
1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium baking dish, toss the cherry
tomatoes with the panko, garlic, shallot, basil and olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 5
minutes, or until the tomatoes pop and brown lightly.
2. Preheat the oven to 500. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the
oven and heat for at least 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball of Pizza
Dough to a 7-inch round. Transfer two rounds to a lightly floured pizza
peel. Spoon one-sixth of the cherry tomato topping on each round. Slide
the pizzas onto the heated stone and bake for about 5 minutes, or until
sizzling and just set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each with 2
tablespoons of the aged Gouda and 1 tablespoon of the Parmigiano.
Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes longer,
until the cheeses are melted and the crust is lightly browned. Drizzle
with a little Basil Pesto and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough,
tomato topping, cheeses and pesto.
Make Ahead The cherry tomato topping can be refrigerated overnight; let
return to room temperature before using

Basil Pesto
1 T pine nuts
2 c basil leaves (1 bunch)
2 garlic cloves,smashed
6 T freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1. In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat,
stirring, until golden, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
2. In a blender or food processor, pulse the pine nuts with the basil,
garlic and cheese until finely chopped. While the machine is on,
drizzle in the olive oil and puree until smooth. Season with salt