Garlic White Pizza with Garden Herbs and Creamy Sauce

I made you a doughy round of cheese!

Because I like you a lot. And I like pizza a lot. But I like you more, for sure. Can we eat pizza together, drink rosé, and pretend the whole thing happened by accident on Instagram?

I think we should.

We’ve been ordering from a new pizza place lately. Eddie treats weekends like his own food production: big, substantial, and definitely Instagram-worthy. He usually wants an entire large pizza to himself. Once he ordered for the rest of us and somehow got a tiny four-slice small pizza. That’s when I realized I should probably keep control of the ordering—hence why I cook.

When we get takeout, we typically order two pizzas: one for Eddie piled with meats and another for me. Lately I’ve been obsessed with a garlic sauce pizza. It’s creamy, garlicky, and incredibly satisfying.

Look at that golden, bubbly, slightly blistered cheese. I want to dive right in.

I’ve made white pizzas before because I used to not love tomato sauce. These days I enjoy it occasionally, but pizza without tomato sauce is still my go-to. A white pizza lets the cheese and toppings shine.

There’s fancy pizza and there’s classic pizza. Even when I make something more elevated during the week, Eddie often still wants a classic pie another night. I can swing either way—sometimes I make a pepperoni for him and Max and top mine with mushrooms, arugula, blue cheese and balsamic. But this garlic-sauce pizza is special: a creamy, dreamy garlic base beneath a rain of melted cheese.

One tip: don’t let your dough hang over the edge of the pizza stone. If the dough drips and melts onto the oven floor at high heat it can smoke and cause trouble. Not that I would know anything about that.

While a simple white pizza is perfect on its own, I love scattering fresh garden herbs on top. They add brightness and color without being committed—Eddie often pulls off the rosemary sprigs and big basil leaves, so the herbs are optional and flexible. They bring a fresh counterpoint to a rich, cheesy slice.

What are you cooking this weekend? Besides this pizza, of course.

White Pizza with Garlic Sauce and Herbs

Yield:
4

Total Time:
2

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5 from 5 votes

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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 salt

Pizza

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup half and half
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup freshly grated provolone
1 cup freshly grated mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated fontina
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
2 balls burrata
A bunch of fresh herbs for topping: oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and salt, stirring until the dough comes together but remains sticky. Form a ball and work in the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a floured surface, kneading a few minutes. Coat the bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1½ hours.
Punch down the dough and shape it on a floured surface with a rolling pin or by hand to your desired size. This dough makes one pizza to feed about 3–4 people. Transfer to a baking sheet or pizza pan, cover and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. If using a pizza stone, set the oven to 475°F and plan on a shorter bake (about 15 minutes); for a baking sheet, use 425°F.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to make a roux and cook 2–3 minutes until golden. Gradually whisk in the half and half until the mixture thickens, then stir in the minced garlic and cook, stirring often, 5–6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Spread the garlic sauce over the dough. Top with provolone, mozzarella, fontina and parmesan. Place the burrata balls in the center and gently pull them toward the edges.
Bake 20–25 minutes (or 15–20 minutes on a pizza stone) until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove, top with fresh herbs and extra parmesan, slice and serve immediately.

Course:
Main Course

Cuisine:
Italian

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Ah, that’s heaven.