Le Pizza Francais Recipe

Preheat and prepare dough

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside. Lightly dust a work surface with the 2 tbs flour. Stretch or roll the dough to a 12-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim. Transfer to a piece of parchment for easy handling and brush the rim lightly with 1 tbs olive oil.

Make a béchamel base: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs butter. Add 2 tbs flour and whisk constantly for 1–1½ minutes until the raw flour smell is gone but mixture has not colored.

Slowly whisk in 1½ cups whole milk a little at a time to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4–6 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 3 oz grated Gruyère and 0.5 oz Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with 1 tsp grated nutmeg, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm (low heat) while preparing toppings.

Cook the bacon

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the 6 slices of bacon (cut into pieces). Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned, 7–10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving about 1–2 tbs of bacon fat in the pan and discarding excess.

Caramelize the onions

Add 1 tbs butter to the reserved bacon fat in the skillet and set heat to medium-low. Add the thinly sliced yellow onion and 1 tsp granulated sugar. Stir to coat, then cook slowly, stirring every few minutes, until deeply golden and soft, 20–25 minutes. If onions begin to stick, add a splash (1–2 tbs) water and scrape up browned bits. Toward the end stir in half of the thyme leaves (about 1/2 tbs) and season with 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauté mushrooms and garlic

Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and a small pinch of salt (use the remaining 1/4 tsp). Sauté until mushrooms release moisture and begin to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and remaining thyme (approximately 1/2 tbs) and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble pizza

Spread an even, thin layer (about 3/4 cup) of the warm Mornay sauce over the stretched dough, leaving the oiled rim bare. Scatter the caramelized onions evenly over the sauce, then distribute the sautéed mushrooms. Sprinkle the cooked bacon pieces over the top. Finish with a light grind of black pepper. Slide the pizza (on the parchment) onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet.

Bake

Bake at 500°F (260°C) until crust is golden and cheese bubbling at the edges, 8–12 minutes depending on oven and stone. Rotate halfway if your oven heats unevenly. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board.

While pizza bakes or immediately after removing from oven, toss together 0.75 cup chopped mixed herbs and 1 cup baby arugula (if using) with 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/8 tsp sea salt and a small pinch of black pepper. Taste and adjust bright acidity or salt as needed.

Scatter the fresh herb salad over the hot pizza so the herbs wilt slightly but remain bright. Let the pizza rest 2 minutes, then slice into 6–8 wedges and serve immediately.