Not Your Average Pie: Pizza Upgraded!

There's nothing wrong with good delivery pizza, but have you ever thought about making your own?

The new age of pizza is here. High-quality ingredients and new and innovative combinations are taking over the cheap delivery pizza we used to know.

Andrew Knowlton, restaurant editor at Bon Appetit magazine, has some of the country's most interesting pies that will blow your boring pepperoni pizza out of the water.

Recently, Bon Appetit magazine and Cavit wines held a contest to find the best pizza recipes in the country. With over 7,000 entries, there were pizzas from every end of the spectrum. On "The Early Show" Tuesday, Knowlton shared some of the most interesting entries, including a gorgonzola and fig pie, a truffled duck and arugula creation, and a "Pacific Island" pizza.

RECIPES:

Fig and Gorgonzola Pizza on Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
3 ounces pancetta, diced
16 dried mission figs
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2-3 tablespoons honey
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Roll out pizza dough to approximately 1/2 inch thickness and drizzle dough with honey.
Arrange the figs, pancetta and gorgonzola evenly on the dough and cover lightly with mozzarella. Bake on a pizza stone for 12-15 minutes or until crust is cooked through.

Truffled Duck Pizza

INGREDIENTS: Dough:
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:
28 ounces organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
6 ounces organic tomato paste
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 roasted garlic cloves, mashed

Toppings:
4 ounces duck sausage links, diced or sliced on bias
2 cups yellow onions, julienned
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio
3 cups organic arugula
1 1/2 tablespoon white truffle oil
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, shredded
4 ounces Italian Fontina, shredded
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:
Preheat oven and pizza stone at 500°F for 45 minutes.

Dough:
Combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Let bloom for 10 minutes. Mix together bloomed yeast mixture, flour, salt and olive oil. When combined knead by hand for 5 minutes. Place dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Punch down, knead for 2 minutes, cover, and let rise for another hour. Divide into 2 dough balls.

Sauce:
Combine all of the ingredients and set aside.

Toppings:
Caramelize the onions by sautéing with olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat. When onions have reduced in volume and have begun to turn gold deglaze the pan with white wine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until onions are a medium brown color and have a sweet taste.

ASSEMBLY:
Roll one of the dough balls into a 12 inch circle by hand or with a rolling pin. Place on a wooden pizza peel that has been dusted with flour. Top the dough with 1 cup of pizza sauce, mozzarella and fontina. Evenly distribute duck sausage and onions. Slide pizza onto preheated stone and bake until crust is crisp and cheese is beginning to brown about 7-8 minutes. Toss arugula with truffle oil and salt and pepper. When pizza is finished cooking top with arugula, slice, and serve.

Pacific Island Pizza with Spicy Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS: Dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey

Sauce:
1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
3/4 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce
2 teaspoons sambal/chili paste
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh galangal
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Toppings:
1 boneless chicken breast sliced in strips
2 red chile peppers, seeded and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 carrot, peeled and julienne
1 zucchini, julienne
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fried shallot
1/4 cup fried garlic

METHOD: Dough
Pour lukewarm water and honey into a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Add yeast, stir until dissolved and rest for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and add yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix until the gluten has become elastic and pulling together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead with floured hands until soft and pliable. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until dough has doubled in volume. Punch down the dough on a floured surface to remove any air bubbles. Divide into two equal portions. Allow the dough to relax for a minute and knead gently for 1 minute. Roll each portion into a thin circle and place on lightly oiled pans.

Peanut sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, allow the sauce to reduce until thick.

Toppings:
In a pan sauté chicken, sesame seeds, carrots, red onions and zucchini. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and allow cooling. Flour the garlic and shallot and deep fry to a golden brown color. Set aside and allow them to drain.

ASSEMBLY:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Spread the peanut sauce evenly over pizza dough. Top with cheese, chicken and vegetable mixture. Add salt to taste. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Garnish with shallot, garlic, green onion, chili pepper and cilantro.