Oh my goodness — this pizza is incredible.
I can’t fully express how much I love this combination.
It’s been far too long since I shared a bacon recipe. Somehow bacon had been neglected in my fridge until one package sat a little too long and well — let’s just say it was past its prime. My fridge situation has been chaotic lately; we got a new fridge and I’m already making a mess of it. I definitely need a better plan for organizing and using ingredients before they disappear.
Bacon has mostly been showing up at breakfast around here — and sometimes at dinner when I make eggs — but my pizzas and salads had been missing out. That changed when I recreated this white pizza with spinach and bacon. It’s back to normal in the best possible way.
I’m a huge fan of white pizza; I often prefer a sauceless pie loaded with cheese instead of a red-sauce pizza. Occasionally I want a classic slice, but most of the time I crave something a little more decadent: lots of cheese, plenty of garlic, and no tomato sauce. I grew up eating white pizza — my parents loved it — and it inspired other dishes I’ve made over the years like white pizza dip and white pizza lasagna. Those recipes truly make me happy.
As a kid I was picky about vegetables — even on white pizza I used to peel tomatoes off and hand them to my mom while I ate the cheesy bread. Now, though, I happily enjoy greens on my pizza, and spinach pairs beautifully with the cheeses and bacon on this pie.
This particular pizza idea came to me after a long day of post-holiday shopping when I spotted someone ordering a similar pie at California Pizza Kitchen. I didn’t order it that night and immediately regretted it — the combination sounded irresistible — so I brought it home and recreated it in my kitchen. My tastebuds were clearly in charge, and I’m so glad they were.
White Pizza with Spinach and Bacon
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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
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated provolone cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Instructions
dough
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In a large bowl, combine warm water, active dry yeast, honey and olive oil. Stir 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 the dough into a ball with your hands and work in the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a floured surface, kneading for a few minutes. Rub the bowl with a little olive oil, place the dough inside and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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After rising, punch the dough down and return it to the floured surface. Shape it with a rolling pin or your hands into your preferred size — this dough makes one pizza large enough for about 3–4 people. Place on a baking sheet or pizza peel and cover with a towel; let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. If you use a pizza stone, you can increase the temperature to 450°F and bake about 15 minutes; for a baking sheet, follow the 375°F instructions below.
pizza
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat renders but the bacon is not fully crisp — it will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the bacon and lower the heat to low. Add the spinach and garlic, stirring until the spinach wilts.
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Brush the dough with olive oil. Spoon dollops of ricotta across the surface, then evenly sprinkle the provolone, mozzarella, fontina and parmigiano-reggiano. Top with the wilted spinach and the bacon. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the crust and cheese are golden and bubbly.
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Who can resist the cheese?