Breakfast Sandwich Pizza

Breakfast sandwiches have become as much a part of the early morning scene as a bowl of cereal and a glass of OJ. Many of us think nothing of picking up an egg-and-cheese or bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich along with our daily cup of coffee at the local quick-stop on the way to work. You’ve always been used to choosing your sandwich on an English muffin, croissant, bagel, or biscuit. Well, now comes breakfast pizza: your favorite breakfast sandwich ingredients, piled atop a chewy pizza crust. Remember, you saw it here first!

Dough
1 3/4 cups (7 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1 1/4 cups (7 1/4 ounces) semolina*
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Easy-Roll Dough Improver (optional, but helpful)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (1/4 ounce) Pizza Dough Flavor (optional, but delicious)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) olive oil
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) cool water

*If you don't want to use semolina, use a total of 3 cups all-purpose flour, and reduce the water to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons.

Topping
4 large eggs
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar, Swiss, or Monterey Jack cheese
8 slices (8 ounces) bacon, or 8 ounces breakfast meat of your choice

To make the dough: Mix and knead together all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer or bread machine–till you've created a smooth, soft dough. Don't over-knead the dough; it should hold together, but can still look fairly rough on the surface. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes; then refrigerate it for 4 hours (or up to 36 hours); this step will develop the crust's flavor. Make sure you have the dough in a large covered bowl, or put it into a large, lightly greased plastic bag; leave plenty of room for expansion.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to rest and warm up a bit while you prepare the topping.

To prepare the topping: Whisk together the eggs and cheese. Cut the bacon into 1” squares; a pair of scissors works well here. If you’re using some other breakfast meat, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Stir the mea into the egg and cheese mixture. Refrigerate the topping while you prepare the crust.

To assemble and bake the pizzas: Divide the dough into four, six, or eight pieces, depending on how large you’d like your pizza to be. One-fourth the dough will make a 5” to 6” round pizza, just right for a teenager, but a bit much for smaller appetites. Plan accordingly.

Stretch and shape each piece of dough into a circle, patting it flat as best you can. The flatter the circle, the thinner the crust. Place the circles on two lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheets, and allow them to rest, uncovered, while you preheat the oven to 450°F.

Bake the pizzas for 8 minutes. Remove them from the oven. Divide the topping evenly among them. Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 16 minutes on the oven’s upper rack, until the topping is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, and serve immediately. These are also good warm, or at room temperature. And yes, feel free to grab one and enjoy it in the car on the way to work!

Yield: 4 to 8 breakfast pizzas

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