I make fried rice with kimchi, ham, and egg so often that you’d think this pizza combination would’ve occurred to me in a flash. It almost did, but not quite: I knew I wanted to make a kimchi and ham pizza, but it wasn’t until I hosted a pizza party and friends tasted it that I asked, “What does it need?” One guest said, “An egg?” Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? I tried it again, and that runny-yolk richness pulled everything together. It always does. Now I wouldn’t have it any other way.

　　

Ingredients

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 egg

　　Kosher or sea salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　All-purpose flour

　　1 (6-ounce) ball No-Knead Pizza Dough (page 104) or No-Knead Pizza Dough with Spelt (page 105)

　　1/3 cup Cabbage and Pear Kimchi (page 18) or your favorite store-bought kimchi, squeezed to remove excess liquid

　　2 ounces cured, smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

　　1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal

　　1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

　　

Step 1

If the dough has been refrigerated, transfer it to the countertop to let it rise for about 1 hour before making pizza.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the broiler with the rack set 5 inches from the element or flame. If you are using a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan for the pizza, set it over medium-high heat until it gets smoking hot, about 15 minutes. Transfer the skillet (turned upside down) or griddle pan to the broiler. If you are using a baking stone, heat it in a 500°F oven for an hour, then carefully transfer it to the broiler.

　　

Step 3

To fry the egg, pour the oil into a small skillet over medium-low heat. Break the egg into a small bowl, then carefully tip the egg from the bowl into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook until the top of the egg has barely filmed over with white and the yolk is still runny, about 2 minutes. Transfer the egg to a plate.

　　

Step 4

To shape the dough, dust a work surface liberally with flour and put the ball of dough on it. Sprinkle with flour and knead a few times until the dough comes together and holds its shape when you form it into a ball. Add more flour if necessary. Form it into an 8-inch round by pressing from the center out toward the edges, leaving a 1-inch border thicker than the rest.

　　

Step 5

Make sure you have all the topping ingredients measured out and ready before you assemble the pizza, because once you place the dough on the cooking surface you can’t easily move it.

　　

Step 6

Open the oven or broiler door, and quickly slide out the rack with the cooking surface (skillet, griddle pan, or baking stone) on it. Pick up the dough and quickly transfer it to the cooking surface, pressing it back into shape if need be, while being careful not to touch the cooking surface with your fingers.

　　

Step 7

Scatter the kimchi on top of the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin. Sprinkle on the ham and scallion.

　　

Step 8

Broil the pizza for 3 to 5 minutes, until the crust has puffed up around the edges and blackened in spots.

　　

Step 9

Remove the pizza with a wooden or metal peel or a square of cardboard, and transfer it to a cutting board. Let it rest for a few minutes, then transfer the fried egg to the center of the pizza, drizzle with the sesame oil, cut the pizza into quarters, transfer to a plate, and eat.

　　Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Text copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan; photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Joe Yonan is the food and travel editor at the Washington Post, where he writes the award-winning "Cooking for One" column. Joe's work also earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation's award for best food section. He is the former travel editor at the Boston Globe. Visit www.joeyonan.com.