Just as fall brings us cooler temperatures and turning leaves, it also brings us the beginning of the "holidays."
Scott Hutcheson has a recipe for you when you visit a friend's house or open your own home to holiday guests.
Pumpkin Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola, and Crispy Sage
Flatbread
3/4 cup warm water (about 115 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings
4 large onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
8 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
24 fresh sage leaves, washed
Fill a small bowl with the 3/4 cup warm water and stir in the yeast. Let this stand for about five minutes or until the yeast dissolves. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, pulsing a few times to combine. Add the water and yeast, along with the olive oil and pumpkin. Process the ingredients until mixture forms into a ball.
Move this to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, adding more all-purpose flour, if needed, until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry place to rise until doubled in volume, about an hour.
Punch down and the dough is ready to use immediately or can be placed in a plastic zipper bag (quart-size is perfect) and stored in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to make the flatbread preheat oven to 475 degrees. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onions, adding salt and pepper to taste, until caramelized, about ten minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge, if refrigerated, to get the chill off (handles better when not too cold) and divide the dough in half for two flatbreads. Use a floured surface, a rolling, pin, and your hands to get the flatbread very thin. Work on getting it into a 13-1/2 by 8-1/2 rectangle. Do this with both portions of dough. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Top each flatbread with half the onions and gorgonzola. Place in oven for ten minutes. Remove, top with sage leaves, return to oven for an additional five minutes. Cut into pieces about 3” by 3.” As an appetizer, two flatbreads will serve about 12.