White Pizza with Alfredo and Pesto Herb Oil
Crispy white pizza with Alfredo sauce, Pesto Herb Oil, and veggies. Easy, customizable, and better than delivery, perfect for homemade pizza night!
Equipment
- Baking steel or cookie sheet
- Parchment paper (this is optional but it's easiest to use parchment for the first ½ of baking, then slide it out and finish baking. It prevents sticking on your steel or cookie sheet)
- Pizza Peel or a thin cutting board, or spare cookie sheet. Something that will allow you to slide your pizza into the oven
Ingredients
- Pizza dough (homemade or store-bought, about a softball-sized piece)
- ½ cup Alfredo sauce (purchased or pre-made)
- 4 tablespoon Pesto Herb Oil
- ½ cup Fontina cheese shredded
- ½ cup Mozzarella cheese part-skim, freshly shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated, shredded, or pearled
- 1 cup veggies of your choice sliced red onion, artichoke hearts, etc.
- Fresh basil (optional, for topping)
- Cornmeal or flour (for sprinkling on parchment to prevent sticking)
Instructions
Preheat & Prepare for Baking
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. If using a pizza steel, place it in the oven to heat. If you don’t have one, a cookie sheet will work.
- While the oven heats, prepare your pizza.
Prepare the Dough
- Lightly flour a clean surface and gently dimple out the pizza dough into your preferred shape (a rustic shape works well). Don't force it to be larger.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes before dimpling again. Repeat the resting and dimpling process until it reaches about 12 inches in diameter.
Setup for Easy Transfer
- Build your pizza directly on a pizza peel (or an alternative surface) to make transferring it to the oven easier.
- If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use any of the following: an upside-down baking sheet, a thin cutting board, or a flexible cutting mat.
- Once the pizza is assembled, slide it onto the hot pizza steel or baking sheet in the oven.
Optional: Use Parchment for Easy Baking
- Place parchment paper on your pizza peel and dust it with cornmeal or flour.
- Transfer the shaped pizza dough onto the parchment.
- Assemble the pizza as instructed below, then slide the entire parchment sheet onto the pizza steel.
- After 5 minutes of baking, when the edges begin to puff and set, carefully remove the parchment so the pizza can finish crisping directly on the steel.
Assemble the Pizza
- Transfer the shaped dough onto your prepared surface (peel or parchment). Adjust the shape if needed.
- Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over the dough.
- Add half of the cheese (Fontina, Mozzarella, and Parmesan).
- Top with veggies of your choice.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of Pesto Herb Oil over the toppings (save the remaining 2 tablespoons for after baking).
- Finish with the remaining Fontina and Mozzarella (hold off on the Parmesan until after baking).
Bake the Pizza
- Slide the pizza onto the hot steel or baking sheet in the oven.
- Monitor baking progress (turn on the oven light). At 5 minutes, check for puffing and light browning on the edges.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper to let the pizza crisp up directly on the steel.
- Continue baking for another 8-12 minutes, depending on dough thickness. The crust should be crispy, golden brown, and fully set.
- If the top is browning too quickly but the dough still seems undercooked, tent it with foil to prevent over-browning.
Finish & Serve
- Remove the pizza from the oven.
- Sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese and drizzle the remaining Pesto Herb Oil over the top.
- Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pizza Dough: Use homemade or store-bought dough.
- Alfredo Sauce: Pre-made or store-bought works.
- Toppings: Customize with any veggies or add chicken for extra protein.