Caramelized Onion, Walnut and Goat Cheese Pizza with a Beer Crust

Topping:
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 lbs. (6 large) onions, very thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped (not ground) walnuts

Beer Dough:
3 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (12-oz.) can or bottle beer (Pilsners are fine)
Oil for greasing
1-1/2 cups (8 oz.) crumbled soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or stockpot over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions, a little water and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Toss to coat well, then cover the pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the onions are very soft and caramel brown all over. After the first 10 minutes or so of cooking, you will have to lower the heat to prevent sticking. The onions need to be cooked slowly over low heat in order to caramelize properly; this will take about 45 minutes. By cooking them covered, you can use less oil. Remove the cover from the pan, then add 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts. Cook 5 minutes, tossing frequently. Remove the onions from the heat and let cool.

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine unbleached flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in 12 ounce of beer and mix well -- the dough will be sticky. Spread a handful of flour on the work surface and dump the dough onto it. Toss the dough around to coat it with the flour and prevent it from sticking. Knead it two or three times to make it pliable. Shape the dough into a ball, then divide it in two. Grease two baking sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into an 11" or 12" circle. Spread half the onion mixture onto each pizza and sprinkle with 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top or underneath.

Servings: Two 12" pizzas

Chef's Note: I like to cook one pizza at a time, but you can cook the pizzas on two different oven racks and alternate them halfway through the cooking.