I made you a doughy round of cheese!
I like you a lot. I also like pizza — but I like you more. Can we sit down, eat pizza, drink rosé and pretend the whole thing happened by accident for Instagram?
I think we should.
We’ve been ordering from a new pizza place lately. Eddie insists on weekend portions that look like The Rock’s Instagram, so he often wants his own full pizza. Once he ordered while not even hungry and picked a small four-slice pie for the rest of us — which taught me that some people simply can’t order for others. That’s why I do the cooking.
When we order, we usually get two pies. Eddie likes a lot of meat on his; I don’t. So he gets the meat-heavy pizza and I take something lighter — lately a garlic-sauce white pizza that’s ridiculously good.
Look at that golden, bubbly, slightly charred cheese. I want to dive right in.
I’ve made a few white pizzas before for one simple reason: I’m not a huge tomato-sauce person. I like it sometimes, but not obsessively. On pizza, though, a white base is perfect.
We talk about “fancy” pizza versus plain, classic pizza. Even if I make an elaborate pie during the week, Eddie still wants a “real” pizza another night. I can swing either way — I recently made pepperoni for him and Max, and for myself I piled on mushrooms, arugula, blue cheese and balsamic. It was excellent, reminiscent of an old favorite I’ve made before.
This particular pizza is special because it has a garlic sauce — a creamy, garlicky blanket that gets buried under a rain of melty cheese. A warning: make sure your dough fits on the pizza stone so sauce and cheese don’t spill onto the oven floor and give you a smoky surprise.
I’m kidding. Mostly.
While I love a simple plain white pizza, I also enjoy a scattering of fresh garden herbs on top. They’re optional and easy to remove if someone prefers — Eddie tends to pull off the rosemary sprigs and large basil leaves before he eats a slice. The herbs add color, brightness and a touch of freshness that balances the richness.
What are you cooking this weekend, besides this pizza?
White Pizza with Garlic Sauce and Herbs
Yield:
4
2
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review »
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 water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix, then 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 into a ball, then work in the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a floured surface and knead a few minutes. Rub the bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside, turn to coat, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
-
Punch down the dough and return it to the floured surface. Shape with a rolling pin or your hands into your desired form — this dough yields one pizza to feed about 3–4 people if made as a large pie. Place on a baking sheet or pizza pan, cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
-
Preheat the oven to 425°F. If using a pizza stone, preheat to 475°F and bake about 15 minutes; for a baking sheet, use 425°F and follow the baking time below.
-
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a roux and cook 2–3 minutes until golden. Slowly pour in the half and half while whisking until the mixture thickens. Stir in the minced garlic and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 5–6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
-
Spread the garlic sauce over the prepared dough. Top with provolone, mozzarella, fontina and parmesan. Place the balls of burrata in the center and gently pull them apart toward the edges.
-
Bake 20–25 minutes (or 15–20 minutes on a pizza stone) until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove, top with fresh herbs and extra parmesan, slice and serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
I appreciate you so much!
Ah — that’s heaven.