I've figured out how to bake the eggs in the oven and still get a perfectly runny yolk by cracking them onto the pizzas during baking and switching to the broiler; however, broilers vary widely, and this is only practical if you're cooking two pizzas at a time. Instead, you can cook the pizzas as usual, fry the eggs in a skillet exactly as you like them, and slide them onto the pizzas when they come out of the oven. Baking these individual pizzas on baking sheets instead of a pizza stone allows you to fit all four in the oven at one time.
Makes 4 (7-inch) individual pizzas
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for dough
About 40 thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal
1/2 recipe pizza dough, divided into 4 balls
10 slices Canadian bacon
1 to 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into thin slices
4 large eggs
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, to taste
Position oven racks as close to the oven's center as possible and preheat to 500 degrees. Have 2 large baking sheets on hand.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook until just tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon cornmeal on a large piece of parchment paper and roll out 2 of the balls of dough into rounds, roughly 7 inches wide. Transfer, along with the parchment paper, to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other 2 balls of dough.
Spread a thin layer of olive oil, about 2 teaspoons, over each pizza and sprinkle the edges with more cornmeal. Top each pizza with a layer of Canadian bacon, a layer of tomato slices and the asparagus. If I'm cracking the eggs directly onto the pizza, I leave a space in the center and form a rough "perimeter" with the asparagus along the edge of the pizzas. Bake pizzas for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Preheat a skillet and as soon as you pull the pizzas out of the oven, cook the eggs, either sunny-side-up or over easy. A runny yolk is delicious over this pizza, but if salmonella is a concern, cook accordingly. Top each pizza with an egg, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.
To cook eggs in the oven:
Gently crack each egg into a small ramekin or bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the pizzas for 6 minutes. Switch on the broiler to low heat. Pull out the baking sheet, hold a ramekin just above the pizza and gently tip the egg onto the pie, taking care to keep the yolk intact. Repeat with the other egg. Broil about 6 to 8 inches away from the heat source for 3 minutes, or until white is just set. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.
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