White pizza, or pizza bianca, is simply pizza without tomato sauce—and, in this instance, with an inspired and noteworthy dollop of ricotta.
This subtly flavored white pizza is what author Jamie Geller refers to as “dressed down.” Her words. Forgive us, but those of us who delight in simpler pleasures consider plain white pizza plenty dressed up. Spiffy, in fact. Still, for those of you who prefer to be knocked giddy with flavor, you may wish to strew this pizza with sautéed garlic and freshly torn basil leaves (as the author suggests), top the white pizza with salad, or go all out and make a white pizza with broccolini, fontina, and sausage. Suit yourself.–David Leite
White Pizza FAQs
One last word of wisdom from the author. Geller posits, “Never thought of Champagne with pizza? Think again.” White pizza and white wine are a marriage made in heaven. Pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc are a terrific match but something bubbly is even better. And don’t worry if it’s not the expensive stuff—sparkling white wine does just as well as the fancy bottles.
It takes a little practice, but the key to getting evenly stretched dough is to drape it over your knuckles and gently rotate it. For step-by-step instructions (with photos) check out this tutorial from Jim Lahey on How to Stretch Pizza Dough Like a Boss.
White Pizza
My grandmother didn’t like sauce and always ordered white pizza–before fancy white slices were en vogue. This white pizza with a dollop of ricotta is an ode to her.
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Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Lightly sprinkle 2 pizza stones or baking sheets with a dusting of cornmeal.
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Separate the pizza dough into 2 equal pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll or stretch out each piece of dough, then transfer it to a prepared pizza stone or baking sheet. Drizzle each dough round with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top each with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and dot all over with 1/2 cup ricotta (about 10 dollops per pizza). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through baking.
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Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and an additional drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Blue Cheese, Pear, and Arugula Pizza variation
Instead of drizzling the dough directly with olive oil, first arrange 2 unpeeled, cored, and very thinly sliced pears on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Then drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Bake until the crust is just starting to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese over the pears and scatter 1/2 to 1 cup baby arugula over the top. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately.
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 302kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 28g (9%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 16g (25%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 32mg (11%)Sodium: 638mg (28%)Potassium: 48mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 279IU (6%)Calcium: 170mg (17%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Originally published March 3, 2014
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