Pizza Bianca with pesto

I am not a fan of pizza with tomato based sauces, so when I discovered that pizza bianca is actually a thing, I was delighted. This is how I like to serve mine. But as with any recipe, you can tweak ingredients, and pizza toppings are always so personal (except for pineapple, that’s just an abomination)

Pizza Bianca, or white pizza, is a delicious variation of traditional pizza that features a white sauce instead of the typical tomato-based sauce. Here’s a basic recipe for making Pizza Bianca:

Ingredients:

Pizza dough, or pizza bases. This recipe serves 4, so you’ll need to plan for pizza for that quantity

White Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Toppings:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh herbs (such as basil or oregano), chopped, for garnish

Optional Toppings:

• Sliced mushrooms
• Pesto sauce
• Sliced cherry tomatoes

Instructions:

• Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to the temperature recommended for your pizza dough (usually around 190°C or according to the package instructions).
• Prepare the Dough: Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness. Transfer the rolled-out dough to a pizza stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you are gluten free then you can use a gluten free pizza base. We are big fans of Schar pizza bases in our house. They crisp up really well and even my gluten eating son loves them.
• Make the White Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. You can also make this with gluten free flour instead of gluten based flour.
• Add Milk to the Sauce: Gradually whisk in the milk, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to whisk and cook the sauce until it thickens, usually 3-5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg if desired. Remove from heat.
• Assemble the Pizza: Spread the white sauce evenly over the rolled-out pizza dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
• I then add some drizzles of home made pesto, which gives extra flavour and taste and whilst not traditional for a pizza bianca
• Add Toppings: cherry tomatoes and mushrooms work well but of course you can choose what you like, spinach would work well too.
• Bake the Pizza: Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake according to the pizza dough instructions or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Garnish and Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs (like basil or oregano), slice, and serve hot.

Anyone who says you MUST have tomato sauce with your pizza needs to try this pizza bianca, then come back and tell me different.