Late Summer Evening Pizza

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sweet potato puree (see note)

1 cup hot water

1 packet (.25 ounces) quick rise yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Toppings

4 links smoked Polish sausage

1 large Spanish onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ cup Holland House Red Wine Vinegar

8-10 Italian prune plums

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

For the dough: Add 1 cup of hot tap water into a mixing bowl. Gently sprinkle the package of yeast on top of the water to allow it to float. After a while it will begin to foam, then add flour, sweet potato puree, sea salt and olive oil. Mix by hand until all ingredients are incorporated or place in a professional type mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead dough until pliable. Add extra flour as needed until it is no longer sticky.

Form a ball and place in a bowl lightly covered with a cloth and set in a warm spot in order for it to rise, (about 1 hour).

For the toppings: Slice onion into thin rings and add to a nonstick frying pan along with 2 tablespoons butter. Cook with medium heat until transparent, add sugar then lower heat to low and cover. Stir occasionally and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes until onions turn a light brown color. Add ¼ cup red wine vinegar, stir and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes or until all liquid disappears, and onions are a dark reddish brown color. Set aside.

Slice prune plums in half lengthwise and remove pits. Slice again lengthwise and then crosswise to make eight triangular pieces. Toss in a bowl with honey. Set aside.

Slice smoked polish sausage into quarter-sized wheels and set aside.

To assemble: Heat oven to 500 degrees and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack.

Return to the pizza dough which should be double in size. Cut ball in half and roll one portion out on a floured noodle board or clean table. Use a rolling pin to shape dough into a circle about ¼-inch thick. If you like thicker pizza, make dough about ⅜-inch thick.

Brush top with olive oil and begin to scatter half the toppings across evenly. Add the cheese last. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings.

Slide one pizza onto the hot pizza stone and cook for about 5 minutes. Check for desired crispiness, you may need to rotate in order for pizza to cook evenly, depending on your oven.

Remove pizza to a platter and let cook slightly before slicing. Cook the other pizza the same way.

Makes two 16-inch pizzas.

Cook’s note: For sweet potato puree: Heat oven or gas grill to 400 degrees. Place sweet potatoes between ridges of the rack, close cover and cook for 10 minutes, rotate 1 quarter turn and close cover and continue until skins are charred all the way around. remove to a pan and set aside. When cool, scoop out the flesh and mash until smooth. Refrigerate leftovers.

Bob Conidi, Itasca