White Pizza
Made with 3 different cheeses (no tomato sauce here!) and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, garlicky goodness. Yes, please!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Fresh basil leaves
for the olive oil mixture
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a pizza stone with olive oil.
- Working on a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out the pizza into a 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to prepared pizza stone.
- Spread olive oil mixture over the surface of the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with mozzarella and dollops of ricotta; sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Place into oven and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses have melted.
- Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.
for the olive oil mixture
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
- Homemade pizza dough goes a long way. Some of the best pizzas are made with good homemade dough, yielding a chewy, flavorful crust. And the homemade pizza dough can be frozen up to 2 months!
- Local pizzerias will sell dough. If using store-bought, opt for a pound of pizza dough at your favorite local pizza joint, usually ranging from $2-5 per ball. It will make all the difference here.
- For a crispier crust, use a hot pizza stone. While a baking sheet can certainly do the trick, a pizza stone will allow for even cooking, mimicking a traditional wood-fired pizza oven and resulting in a far more superior crust due to its high heat retention.
- Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. With its short ingredient list of mainly olive oil, garlic and cheese, good quality extra virgin olive oil is best. Poor quality olive oil can lead to bland white pizza.
- Freshly grated cheese is ideal. Although pre-shredded cheese can save a few minutes in the kitchen, pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents to prevent clumping – this can hinder its ability to melt properly. Freshly grated cheese will not only have a better flavor profile but it will also melt more smoothly and evenly, yielding a far more superior pizza.
- High heat is key. Ensure that the oven is preheated to 450°F for a crispy, golden brown crust, preventing the dough from becoming soggy.