This pizza has no tomato sauce. The dough is brushed with olive oil and covered with mozzarella and fontina, then piled with onions that have cooked slowly in butter and oil for over half an hour.
It bakes on a stone or upside-down sheet pan heated in a 500°F oven, so the crust crisps in under ten minutes while the cheese melts and browns in spots. Fresh thyme sprigs go on at the end.
Onions on the Stove, Stone in the Oven
The long onion cook gives the oven time to heat fully.
Skillet
- Start
Onions and salt into butter and oil over medium-low heat.
- 30 to 35 minutes
Stirred often until deeply jammy.
Oven
- Once the onions are going
Stone or inverted sheet pan in, oven set to 500°F.
- By the time the onions are done
Fully preheated and ready.
Top and bake
Stretch and oil the dough, add the cheeses, onions and thyme, and bake 8 to 10 minutes.
How to Make It
Onions caramelized
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and salt and cook 30 to 35 minutes, stirring often, until deeply jammy and caramelized.
Oven and stone at 500°F
Heat the oven to 500°F with a pizza stone or inverted sheet pan inside.
Dough stretched and oiled
Stretch the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured or semolina-dusted surface and brush with the remaining olive oil.
Cheese, onions and thyme
Top with the mozzarella, fontina, caramelized onions and thyme leaves.
Baked until browned in spots
Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.
Ingredient Notes
- Yellow onions
- Two large onions, thinly sliced; they cook down to a fraction of their raw volume.
- Mozzarella and fontina
- A cup and a half of low-moisture mozzarella with half a cup of fontina.
- Flour or semolina
- One tablespoon to stop the dough sticking while shaping and sliding.
Success Tips
- Stir the onions more often in the last ten minutes, when their sugars start catching on the skillet.
- Let the pizza stone heat in the oven for the whole time the onions cook.
- Bring the pizza dough to room temperature before stretching so it does not spring back.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking the onions low and slow for 30 to 35 minutes turns them sweet, soft and jammy.
- A thoroughly preheated stone gives the base a burst of heat, crisping the crust quickly.
- Fontina melts creamily alongside the mozzarella, giving a richer white base.
Serving Ideas
Slide the pizza onto a wooden board, cut into slices and scatter the thyme sprigs over the top.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate leftover slices and reheat in a hot skillet or oven to crisp the base again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a sauce on this pizza?
No. It is a white pizza, with the dough brushed in olive oil under the cheese.
Do I need a pizza stone?
A stone or an upside-down sheet pan preheated in the 500°F oven both work.
