Pear and Brie Pizza

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This pear and brie pizza has it all…sweet, savory, and perfect for fall! Move over apple, the pear is the star today!

It’s no secret that this Italian girl is a big fan of pizza. Of course I love a classic pie with tomato sauce and bubbling mozzarella, but today we’re mixing it up for fall with pear and brie pizza.

After being inundated with apple and pumpkin recipes this fall, it’s time to give the pear some love. Pears abound in the fall and my market is flooded with different varieties. I used Anjou for today’s pear pizza, but other varieties can work as well.

Choose a sturdier, denser pear like Anjou, Bosc, or Concorde for baking as they maintain their shape and their flavor won’t diminish as they bake.

It’s also important to think of balance when making a fruit pizza. The pizza will have natural sweetness from the pears and honey, but this is not a dessert pie. The brie has a deep creamy, buttery flavor; the walnuts add nuttiness and texture; and the fresh thyme a woodsy, lemony element.

I make my dough from scratch (it’s easy, I promise) because I can control the wetness of the dough. The pears will release moisture as the pizza bakes so you don’t want an overly wet dough which will lead to a soggy crust.

Pre-heating a pizza stone (my preference) or a sheet pan in a very hot oven before baking will help the crust cook evenly yield the perfect crust for your pear and brie pizza.

Let’s Make Pear and Brie Pizza

Let’s start with the pizza dough.

1. Mix the dry ingredients together and activate the yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar.
2. Mix the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand until smooth.
3. Form the dough into a ball and turn into a well-oiled bowl.
4. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Now for the Pear and Brie pizza.

1. Stretch the dough into a 12 inch round circle.
2. Place on a pre-heated pizza stone or sheet tray sprinkled with cornmeal and arrange slightly overlapping pear slices in concentric circles.
3. Top with remaining ingredients.
4. Bake for about 12 mins until golden brown, bubbling and cooked through.

Tips for success

• Preheat the pizza stone or baking sheets in the oven for a few minutes before you place the dough on them. This will help the dough cook through and guarantee a nice, crisp crust.
• A good sprinkle of cornmeal on the pizza stone or in the pan before the dough goes down will help to prevent sticking.
• Work quickly as you top the pizza with the pears and other toppings, you don’t want the pizza stone or trays to lose too much heat.
• If the top of the pizza begins to brown too quickly as it bakes, lay a piece of foil lightly over the top.
• Pink salt or another good quality sea salt really enhances the flavors of this pear pizza. A sprinkle of kosher salt can be substituted.

More Pear Recipes

• Quick Pickled Pears
• Red Wine Poached Pears
• Hasselback Pears
• Pear Frisee Salad

4.5 from 6 votes

Print

Pear and Brie Pizza

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Rising Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 12 mins

 

This pear and brie pizza has it all…sweet, savory, and perfect for fall! Move over apple, the pear is the star today!

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: pear pizza

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 477 kcal

Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 1/4 oz active dry yeast (1 pkg)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (100 degrees F)
• pinch of sugar
• 3 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 1/12 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for the bowl)

Pear and Brie Pizza

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large pears, cored and very thinly sliced
• 8 oz brie, rough chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 4 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 2 Tbsp honey
• pink salt (or another good quality salt)

Instructions

Pizza Dough

1. Whisk the yeast and pinch of sugar into the water and let stand 5 – 10 mins until it begins to bubble or foam.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour and the salt. With the mixer set to low, add the water/yeast mixture and the olive oil.

3. Knead for about 5 mins, until the dough is smooth. (By hand: stir together all ingredients and knead on the counter for 8-10 mins.)

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 2-3 mins until the dough is very smooth and then shape it into a ball.

5. Place the dough in a well-oiled large bowl, turning the dough so it is coated on all sides and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 – 1 1/2 hrs. (Place the bowl in the warmest part of your kitchen.)

6. Lightly punch down the down and divide the dough into 2 pieces. Roughly shape the divided pieces into balls and cover with plastic wrap.

Pear and Brie Pizza

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is hot, place two baking sheets or a pizza stone in the oven for about 5 minutes. While the baking sheets heat, stretch the dough.

2. Working with one piece and leaving the other covered, use your hands to stretch the dough into a round shape (about 12 inches). If the dough springs back and loses its shape, cover it and set aside for a few mins before re-stretching it (this allows the dough to relax). Repeat with the other dough.

3. Take the baking sheets or pizza stone out of the oven (careful! it will be crazy hot!) and place the trays on a cooling rack or trivet. Sprinkle the bottom of the sheet pans with a handful of cornmeal. Place the stretched dough on the pan and stretch it evenly into a round shape. Repeat with the other dough.

4. Brush the rounds with 1 tbsp olive oil each. Divide the pears between the two pizzas and arrange in slightly overlapping concentric circles.

5. Divide the remaining ingredients evenly and scatter the brie, walnuts, and thyme over the pears. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pink salt (to taste).

6. Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for about 12 mins, or until the pizzas are golden brown and bubbling and the crust is cooked through (cover the top lightly with foil during the final mins of baking if the brie begins to turn too dark). Slice and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

Yields 2 – 12 inch pizzas

• Preheat the pizza stone or baking sheets in the oven for a few minutes before you place the dough on them. This will help the dough cook through and guarantee a nice, crisp crust.
• A good sprinkle of cornmeal on the pizza stone or in the pan before the dough goes down will help to prevent sticking.
• Work quickly as you top the pizza with the pears and other toppings, you don’t want the pizza stone or trays to lose too much heat.
• If the top of the pizza begins to brown too quickly as it bakes, lay a piece of foil lightly over the top.
• Pink salt or another good quality sea salt really enhances the flavors of this pear pizza. A sprinkle of kosher salt can be substituted.

Nutrition Facts

Pear and Brie Pizza

Amount Per Serving

Calories 477 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 28mg9%

Sodium 498mg22%

Potassium 194mg6%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 198IU4%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.