Flavorful Toppings for a Robust Sourdough Crust

Having had great success with dough recipes from Peter Reinhart's American Pie, I expected his sourdough crust to be as tangy and aromatic as the best examples of this superior variety of bread. My toppings would have to be equally assertive and delicious to create balanced and harmonious pizza.

A childhood friend of mine loved garlic and onion pizza, one of the most delicious pies to eat, and probably the worst for your breath. I developed a more grown-up version, using sweet, mellow roasted garlic paste and leeks gently caramelized in rendered bacon fat. The resulting pie was just as delicious as the ones I remembered from long-ago sleepovers, but mellower and more complex because of its slow-cooked toppings. The crispy bacon didn't hurt either.