• Bake the strips of bacon on a sheet pan at 350F degrees until crisp and golden, about 20-30 minutes (depending on the oven). Discard or save the bacon fat for other uses. When cooled, coarsely chop the bacon strips into 1/4” – 1/2”  crumbles and set aside.

Make Balsamic Fig Jam

• In a sauce pan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the fig slurry and hot sauce and whisk to incorporate into a runny jam, about the thickness of heavy cream. Set it aside to cool. It will thicken slightly as it cools but should still be easy to drizzle with a tablespoon (or use a squeeze bottle with a cut 1/2” tip).

Make Cheese Sauce

• In a bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, creme fraiche, Crescenza / Stracchino, salt, pepper, and the ground coriander seed (or substitute nutmeg) to make an easily spreadable/pipe-able sauce. (Note: you can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed to beat into a smooth sauce).
• Fill four uncut pastry bags with 6 oz. (each) of this mixture (use one bag per pizza). Fill an additional uncut pastry bag with the remaining mixture (about 8 ounces, for use as a garnish on top). Set these aside at room temperature (or, if making the day ahead, keep the filled bags refrigerated but remove them 6 hours before assembly to bring to room temperature for easy piping).

Prep

• In a separate bowl, stir together the sliced onions with the 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to coat the onions. Set aside.
• Grate or shred the smoked cheese, using the large holes of a box grater or other shredder, and place in a separate bowl. Keep refrigerated until assembly. Finely dice the chives and store in in the refrigerator in a small bowl or dish covered with a wet paper towel, until assembly.
• Three hours before assembly, remove the prepared chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide and form it into four 9 oz / 255 g dough balls. Place the dough balls on a prepared tray or in a dough box (see recipe and instructions below) and hold them at room temperature to slowly wake up and begin swelling.

Assembly

• Preheat the oven with a baking stone or baking steel (middle shelf) to 500 F.  Stretch one dough to approx. 11”-12” diameter and lay it out on a peel that has been dusted with flour, semolina, or cornmeal.  
• Cut off the tip of one filled pastry bag to make a 1/2” opening and slowly pipe all of the cheese sauce in a bead over the surface of the stretched dough, beginning 1/2” from the outer perimeter, to form four concentric circles that end nearly, but not at the center of the dough, leaving a 1” uncovered center space. 
• Cut off the tip of one filled pastry bag to make a 1/2” opening and slowly pipe all of the cheese sauce in a bead over the surface of the stretched dough, beginning 1/2” from the outer perimeter, to form four concentric circles that end nearly, but not at the center of the dough, leaving a 1” uncovered center space.  
• Distribute 1/4th of the sliced onions over the surface. Cover with 1/2 cup of the shredded smoked cheese. Use a tablespoon or squeeze bottle to drizzle four streaks of fig jam in parallel lines over the surface. Distribute 1/4th of the chopped bacon over the top (or, for a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use additional smoked cheese). 

Bake Pizza

• Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or steel and bake for 3 minutes. Then, rotate the pizza 180 degrees and continue baking for 2 to 4 additional minutes, or until the crust is a rich golden brown around the edge (cornicione) and underneath (under-crust), and the top turns golden brown. (Note: If the pizza doesn’t bake evenly you might have to move the stone to a lower or higher shelf, as needed for subsequent bakes). Transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
• Use the piping bag with the extra cheese sauce, cut off the tip to make a 1/2” opening, and pipe 6 to 8 small dollops over the hot pizza, saving the remainder of the sauce for additional pizzas. Garnish with a sprinkle of diced chives. Cut the pizza into 6 or 8 slices and serve.

• In a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add all the water and stir with a large spoon, or use the paddle attachment and mix on slow speed for 30 seconds to form a coarse, shaggy dough. Add the oil (if using). Increase the speed to medium (or continue mixing with the spoon or with wet hands) and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a wet, coarse, slightly sticky dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate.
• If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook. Increase the mixer to medium-high speed (or continue mixing by hand) and mix for another 2 to 3 minutes to make a smooth dough (add more flour or water, if needed). The dough should be soft and supple, tacky but not sticky to the touch, and offer a bouncy resistance when pressed with a wet finger or slapped with a wet hand.
• Use 1 teaspoon of olive oil to make a 15” diameter oil slick on the work surface. Rub some oil on a plastic bowl scraper and on your hands and use the scraper to transfer the dough to the oil slick. Stretch and fold (s&f) the dough to form it into a round ball. Invert your mixing bowl and use it to cover the dough, and let it rest for 2 minutes. Then, repeat the stretch and fold (you can rub additional olive oil on the work surface, if needed). Again, cover the dough, let it rest for 2 minutes, and repeat the stretch and fold. Cover with the bowl and, again, let it rest for 2 minutes. Perform one final stretch and fold to make a smooth ball of dough. The dough will have firmed up after each s&f and will now be smooth, supple, and tacky to the touch, but not sticky.
• Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl or container, roll it around to coat the dough with oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for anywhere from 12 to 72 hours.
• On the day you plan to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator 3 hours before you plan to bake the pizzas. Immediately, divide it into the desired size pieces (typically, 9 oz or 255 g) and round them into balls, placing the dough balls on a sheet pan that has been lined with either lightly oiled baking parchment or a silicone baking mat (or use a dough box). Mist the dough balls with vegetable spray oil and cover the pan or box with plastic wrap or a lid Then, follow the recipe for the pizza.