White Pizza (aka Pizza Bianca) was one of my fav pizzas last time we visited Southern Italy. It was all over Naples and Amalfi and I've made various versions over the years. This one is ricotta and provolone based with a garlicky olive oil sauce. It's very simple, very flavorful and fantastic served with a simple peppery arugula salad!
Table of Contents
Pizza week isn't over! We've got 2 more pizzas coming down the pipeline and this White Pizza (also known as a Pizza Bianca) is out of this world! This White Pizza is loaded with 2 kinds of cheese, lots of garlic, a healthy sprinkling of red pepper flakes, a drizzle of chili oil, and fresh basil! You'll be obsessed!
Here's what you need to make this White Pizza:
- Pizza dough – feel free to use store-bought here or try this homemade pizza dough recipe
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Ricotta cheese
- Shredded provolone
- Red pepper flakes
- Chili oil – this one is my favorite
- Fresh basil
How to make this White Pizza:
First – we need HOT heat, so preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Then, thirty minutes before cooking the pizza, put your pizza stone in the oven.
Take your store-bought or homemade pizza dough and divide it into 2 even pieces. Stretch each piece of dough in a circular motion, then lay them both out on a flat surface and flatten out using a rolling pin. If you have a pizza peel, sprinkle some flour on it and place the stretched out dough on the peel.
Once your 2 pizza doughs are flat and ready to be cooked, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with finely chopped garlic. Arrange the ricotta, provolone and some red pepper flakes on top. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pizzas into the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes until the crust is golden. Remove pizza from the oven. Drizzle with chili oil, and then slice and serve.
Variations and Substitutes:
I will admit, I don’t always have time to make pizza dough from scratch. And since I’m an equal opportunity pizza consumer, I’m not against buying pizza dough when I’m in a pinch. I’ve found Whole Foods and Eataly to have the best pre-made pizza dough that you can grab in the refrigerated section, but it’s also worth checking at your local Italian deli to see if they make and sell their own dough.
A few tips and tricks to making White Pizza:
- Your pizza dough needs to be at room temp before you try and roll it out. If it’s too cold, it will seize up and not get big enough to really add the toppings.Â
- I’ve done every pizza here on WGC with both homemade dough and store bought dough. Both are delish but if you want to level it up, homemade is the way to go.Â
- Don’t OVERTOP your pizza. This goes for any recipe you’re making. If you add too much cheese, it will become watery. If you add too many toppings, it becomes too heavy and doesn’t bake as perfectly and evenly. Just something to keep in mind.
- A pizza stone is a game changer for making pizza at home in your oven, but if you don't have one you can also use a baking sheet.
White Pizza FAQ's:
What is white pizza sauce made from?
White pizza sauce is made of a combination of olive oil, garlic, and copious amounts of cheese.
What toppings are good on a white pizza?
Any kind of vegetables: mushrooms, spinach, artichokes, leeks, or tomatoes would all be delicious toppings on a white pizza, but my personal favorite pizza topping is honey.
Why is white pizza called white pizza?
Unlike traditional pizza, white pizza is made without tomato or marinara sauce. Instead, a combination of olive oil, garlic, and cheese are used for the base.
Another Amazing Blanco Style Pizzas:
- White Pizza with Spinach
- Pea Pesto Pizza
- Bacon Goat Cheese and Leek Pizza
- Garlic Pesto Pizza
- Burrata Snap Pea Pizza
- Pesto Caprese Pizza
Tools Used to Make This
What you’ll need:
White Pizza (Pizza Bianca)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded provolone
- red pepper flakes to taste
- chili oil to drizzle
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Thirty minutes before cooking the pizza, put your pizza stone in the oven.
- Divide the pizza dough into 2 even pieces. Stretch each piece of dough in a circular motion, then lay them both out on a flat surface and flatten out using a rolling pin. If you have a pizza peel, sprinkle some flour on it and place the stretched out dough on the peel.
- Once your 2 pizza doughs are flat and ready to be cooked, Brush the olive oil over the pizza and sprinkle with garlic. Arrange the ricotta, provolone and some red pepper flakes on top. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the pizzas into the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes until the crust is golden. Remove pizza from the oven. Drizzle with chili oil, and then slice and serve.
My crust doesn’t brown on bottom even tho using pizza stone heated up to 500 for over 30 mins prior…any tips??
what kind of dough are you using?
O.M.G.