Cheesy White Pizza on Garlic Bread Crust.

Pro tip: shape your dough into a heart to make the best white pizza!

I mentioned last week that I might just make every food into a heart shape this week. And I’m sticking to it.

Remember when I first made the heart pizza with heart pepperoni?! I’ve made a version of that every year around Valentine’s Day for Eddie, and now for Max too because he loves pepperoni pizza.

Currently wondering if I could make heart-shaped sliders. Or tacos. Or smashed potatoes.

Nothing is safe from my heart cookie cutter.

This year, I decided that I could also make a white pizza for Emilia and myself. I mean, this babe will eat anything and gladly inhales pepperoni pizza, but I need someone on my cheesy white pizza side, right?! Someone to love it as much as I do.

So!

After I made a bunch of pizza on New Year’s Eve, so many of you asked on Instagram stories for my best white pizza recipe.

The thing is that I looooove white pizza. I always have, in fact, growing up it was really the only pizza I’d eat! I didn’t want anything to do with tomato sauce. Not a thing.

And I have a few recipes here for white pizza versions that we really love. Probably too many recipes. Do I just go start a pizza blog?!

This white pizza with garlic sauce and herbs is SO good. It has a ton of flavor.

This other fancier white pizza with slow roasted cherry tomatoes is incredible, because it’s both savory and sweet. The tomatoes burst and get a little caramely in the oven.

Why I find it appropriate to post an additional white pizza recipe?! Probably because to me, they can be made in so many different ways. I often make a white pizza at home with mushrooms and balsamic or even shredded brussels and bacon.

Super good.

This recipe here is a four cheese pizza that doesn’t require a homemade sauce, meaning it comes together fairly quickly! I like to make sure the crust tastes like garlic bread (um remember this garlic crust pizza?!) and then sprinkle it with crushed pepper flakes and lemon zest. It’s a take on the white pizza from Michigan and Trumbull at Federal Galley.

The result is to die for. It’s super cheesy with a hint of heat. There’s a little brightness from the lemon zest (don’t skip it!) and if you’re feeling it, you can drizzle some extra garlic oil on top.

As for cheeses, I like to go with freshly grated provolone, fresh mozzarella slices, scoops of fresh ricotta and a heavy handed sprinkle of parmesan. These four come together to create the perfect “pizza cheese” flavor.

And you obviously don’t have to shape your dough into a super cheesy (all puns intended) heart.

But I swear it tastes better than way.

Our Favorite White Pizza

Our Favorite White Pizza on Garlic Bread Crust

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

Our favorite white pizza recipe has four different kinds of cheese and comes on a garlic bread crust! Topped with crushed pepper and lemon - tons of flavor!

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Ingredients

Dough

• 1 1/8  cups  warm water
• 3  teaspoons  active dry yeast
• 1  tablespoon  honey
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1  teaspoon  salt

Pizza

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or very finely minced
• 2 cups freshly grated provolone cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn into pieces
• ¾ cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1 lemon, zest freshly grated or sliced into thin ribbons
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for sprinkling

optional:

• 2 cups baby arugula greens
• lemon juice from the lemon above
• pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions 

Dough

• In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in 2 1/2 cups flour, garlic powder, basil and salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work in the additional 1/2 cup flour, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes. Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1-1 1/2 hours.
• After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. Using a rolling pin or your hands, form it into your desired shape, like the heart above (sometimes I use baking sheets and do rectangles or free form pizzas – this specific dough will yield one pizza large enough to feed about 3-4 people) and place on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Place the towel back over the dough and let sit in the warm place for 10 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. (If I use my pizza stone, I heat my oven to 475 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. If you’re just using a baking sheet, follow the directions below for baking and set to 425 degrees.)

Pizza

• Brush the pizza dough all over with the olive oil, making sure to reach the edges. Add the minced garlic cloves and brush them around to distribute them evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the provolone cheese over the crust. Add on the sliced mozzarella and scoops of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. Add the lemon zest and red pepper flakes.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or around 15 to 20 minutes if using the pizza stone) until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove and sprinkle with extra parmesan and pepper flakes if you wish. If you want some greens on the pizza, toss the arugula with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Top the warm pizza with the greens.
• Slice and serve!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

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