Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Cast Iron Pizza

It's fall (or at least, it was when I made this - hope you had a tasty Thanksgiving!). To me, fall means three things - Brussels sprouts, bacon, and PIZZA. Cooking with a Dutch oven or cast iron is 100% necessary. And if cheese is in the mix, I'm a happy girl.When I saw a recipe that combined all my favorite things, I was so excited to try it! Thanks to How Sweet It Is for this recipe! My tweaked version is below. Great for a casual Friday night pizza night.

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Cast Iron Pizza

1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon warm water (100-110 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pieces thick-sliced bacon (I recommend getting these from the butcher if you don't feel like investing in a whole package. $1 will get you two of the best pieces of bacon you'll ever have!)
3/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded

 In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil with a spoon and let sit about 10 minutes. Add in 1 cup flour and salt and mix with the dough hook until the dough comes together but it still sticky. Add the additional 1/2 cup flour and let it keep mixing a couple more minutes. Rub a large metal bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hours. 

Meanwhile, cook bacon in cast iron skillet until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate.With the cast iron on medium-high heat, add Brussels sprouts to the bacon drippings and cook until crisped, stirring occasionally, about 12-15 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let it cool, then wipe clean.

After the dough has risen for the hour and a half, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. With floured hands, press out dough to roughly fit your cast iron skillet. Now place an oven rack directly under your broiler and preheat your broiler to the highest setting. Additionally, heat your cast iron on high heat. The pan might begin to smoke - let it get as hot as you're comfortable with, for 10 minutes.  

Carefully flip the pizza dough onto the hot cast iron and let cook 2 minutes. Quickly cover with the cheddar then the Brussels and bacon and put in the oven under the broiler. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and dough is getting browned on the crust. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes, then use a large spatula to place on a cutting board. Cut and demolish :)