Roasted Delicata Squash Pizza with Burrata & Spinach
Sophisticated and decadent, this roasted delicata squash pizza is a harmonious blend of flavors and textures that's both cozy and elegant. Roasted squash, nutty hazelnuts, ultra-creamy burrata, and rich caramelized onions are rustic and comforting. Make the pizza dough and toppings ahead of time then assemble and bake when ready.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the pizza dough:
- 2 cups bread flour, plus extra for stretching dough
- 1 cup warm water, about 110°F
- 1/4 cup cornmeal, plus more for dusting the pizza peel
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 (1/4 ounce) packet active dry yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons)
For the toppings:
- 1 medium delicata squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick rings, seeds removed
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided plus more for drizzling
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsley chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- red chile flakes, to taste
- 4 ounces Burrata cheese
- 2 1/2 ounces baby spinach, about 2 cups
- Shaved Parmesan, optional
Instructions
For the pizza dough:
- Combine the 2 cups bread flour, 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1/2 tablespoon sugar and the packet of yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Start mixing on low speed until the dough comes together.
- The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but still come off the sides of the bowl when it is being mixed. If the dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup of warm water and if it is too wet, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. It is better for the dough to be too wet than too dry. It will rise better and you can always add more flour when you are shaping the dough.
- Once it is the right consistency, knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and springs back to the touch, about 8 minutes more. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and let rise until it is doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
For the toppings:
- Heat oven to 425°F. Brush both sides of squash rings with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until knife tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until brown and caramelized.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a separate medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the 1/4 cup hazelnuts, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and cook, stirring occasionally until hazelnuts are toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
For the pizza:
- Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and remove the top rack. Heat oven to 500°F. Let stone heat up for at least 30 minutes before beginning.
- On a lightly floured surface, stretch dough gently with your hands until it forms a 1/2-1/4-inch thick circle or oval (or I like a rectangle) ☺️. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to stretch it, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly for 5-10 minutes, then try again.
- Dust a pizza peel or the back side of a baking sheet with cornmeal. Transfer dough to pizza peel, brush with olive oil and top with the onions, squash, hazelnut mixture and some red chile flakes if you'd like. (You may have some toppings leftover). Break the 4 ounces of Burrata apart with your hands and dot the top with the cheese. If you don’t have a pizza stone, bake on a regular sheet pan or pizza pan. Grease it with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal, and then press the dough into whatever shape that will fit.
- Slide pizza onto hot stone and bake until blistered and crust is crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. While pizza is baking, toss the 2 1/2 ounces of spinach with a little drizzle of oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Remove pizza from oven and slide onto a cutting board. Top with the spinach a drizzling of olive oil, and shavings of Parmesan. Cut into slices and serve.
Notes
- Size: Dough makes a 12 to 14-inch pizza. Double the dough to make more than one pizza or divide the dough and make 2-3 smaller pizzas.
- Equipment: To make this recipe you will need a 16-inch pizza peel and pizza stone. If you don't have those things you can also bake the pizza on a baking sheet. Make sure you grease it well with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Make ahead: You can mix the dough up to 4 days in advance and let it rise in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature at least 1 hour before starting. You can also make all the separate toppings up to 4 days in advance and keep covered in the refrigerator.
- Work quickly: Once the dough goes on the pizza peel, work quickly to top it otherwise it will stick and won't slide off into the oven.