Leena Watts
White pizza, or pizza bianca, is a delicious alternative to traditional red-sauce pizzas. It features a creamy base of ricotta cheese, topped with other cheeses such as mozzarella, parmesan, and pecorino, and baked to perfection. This pizza variety lacks tomato sauce, allowing the flavours of the cheeses and other toppings to shine through. The key to a great white pizza with ricotta is in the preparation of the dough and the choice of fresh, high-quality ingredients. By making this pizza at home, you can control the portion sizes and ingredients to align with your dietary preferences, creating a tasty and satisfying meal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Dough | Store-bought or homemade |
| Dough weight | 1 pound |
| Dough preparation | Mix yeast, honey or sugar, and water. Add flour and salt. Form into a ball. |
| Dough temperature | Room temperature |
| Dough thickness | Thin |
| Dough diameter | 12-14 inches |
| Sauce | No traditional sauce. Use olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary. |
| Cheese | Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. |
| Additional toppings | Arugula, basil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, thyme, oregano, pecorino, provolone, marinated artichoke hearts, spinach, mushrooms, and fennel sausage. |
| Baking temperature | 375-500°F |
| Baking time | 8-12 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the dough
To make the dough for your diet white pizza with ricotta, you can use a homemade pizza dough recipe or buy your favourite pizza dough from the grocery store. If you want to make the dough yourself, here is a recipe you can follow:
First, combine yeast, honey or sugar, and water in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Then, add flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Form the dough into a ball. If you want to add some extra flavour to your dough, you can add garlic and rosemary at this stage.
Next, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil onto the outside of the dough and cover it. Let the dough rise in a warm location for about 15 minutes. After that, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a couple of times.
Now, you can shape your dough. Cut it in half to make two equal dough balls or cut it into fourths to make individual pizzas. Roll and/or stretch the dough out onto a pizza pan or hot pizza stone. If you want a crust, roll the edges of the dough outwards.
If your dough has been in the fridge, let it sit out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before shaping it. This will make it easier to work with and less likely to tear.
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Making the sauce
White pizza, or pizza bianca, does not use a traditional tomato-based sauce. Instead, it uses olive oil infused with herbs and garlic. To make the sauce, you will need extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, and rosemary. You can use dried rosemary, but be aware that it is pretty strong, so you will only need about a quarter of a teaspoon. You will also need a bowl and a brush. First, finely chop the rosemary and garlic. Then, combine them with the olive oil in a bowl. You can then brush this mixture over the pizza crust, adding moisture and a strong garlic flavour.
If you want to add more flavour to the ricotta, you can combine it with garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, and black pepper. You can also add lemon zest to the ricotta for a bright, fresh flavour. However, as ricotta is naturally mild, be careful not to add too many strong flavours, as this will overpower the taste of the cheese.
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Choosing the cheeses
White pizza, or pizza bianca, is a type of pizza that does not use tomato sauce. Instead, it is all about the cheese. The cheeses used in white pizza with ricotta are typically a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan.
Ricotta is a creamy whey-style cheese that is used in both savoury and sweet dishes. It is the perfect base for white pizza due to its mild and creamy texture. To make the ricotta more flavourful, it can be seasoned with garlic, lemon zest, thyme, basil, oregano, black pepper, and sea salt. It is recommended to use whole milk ricotta for the best results.
Mozzarella is a fresh, melty cheese that pairs well with ricotta. For optimal melting, it is best to slice or tear the mozzarella into small pieces and distribute them evenly over the ricotta layer. Fresh mozzarella can also be sliced and added to the top of the pizza.
Parmesan is a salty and nutty cheese that adds flavour to the pizza. It is best to grate the parmesan cheese yourself, rather than using pre-shredded cheese, to achieve the best texture and flavour.
In addition to these three cheeses, some recipes also include pecorino and provolone. Pecorino is a type of Italian sheep milk cheese that can be used in place of or in combination with parmesan. Provolone is an Italian cheese that adds a tangy flavour to the pizza. For the best melt factor, it is recommended to use freshly grated provolone rather than pre-shredded cheese.
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Baking the pizza
Once you've prepared your dough, it's time to bake your pizza. Preheat your oven to between 450ºF and 500ºF. If you're using a pizza stone, make sure to preheat that as well, and lightly flour the surface before placing your dough on top. For a pizza pan, lightly flour the surface or grease your baking sheet with olive oil.
Roll and/or stretch the dough out onto your chosen surface. You can roll the edges to form a crust if you like. If you're using a pizza stone, you may want to sprinkle cornmeal over it to prevent sticking. Drizzle olive oil onto the dough and spread it out.
Now it's time to add your toppings. Start by brushing your garlic and rosemary-infused olive oil over the crust. Then, dollop the ricotta mixture onto the centre and spread it out, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle on the mozzarella, followed by the Parmesan. If you're using fresh mozzarella, you can slice it and add it to the top of the pizza. You can also add other toppings like spinach, mushrooms, or pepperoni.
Bake your pizza for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling. If you want the cheese to be browned in spots and the crust to be slightly charred, turn on the broiler at the end of the cooking time. But keep a close eye on it to prevent burning!
Once your pizza is cooked to perfection, remove it from the oven and add any final toppings. Fresh basil and red pepper flakes are great options. Then, slice and serve your delicious diet white pizza with ricotta!
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Serving suggestions
White pizza with ricotta is a delicious and simple dish that can be served in many ways. This pizza is a great option for those who are bored of the same old tomato-based pizzas and are looking for a change.
The pizza itself is quite mild and creamy, so it pairs well with stronger flavours and ingredients. You can serve it with a big chopped salad, or a more specific arugula salad. If you want something more substantial, it goes well with linguine with clams, or parmesan bread bites.
You can also experiment with toppings on the pizza itself. Many recipes suggest adding vegetables, such as spinach, mushrooms, caramelised onions, artichoke hearts, or roasted garlic. You can also add meats like pepperoni, prosciutto, mortadella, or fennel sausage.
For an extra kick of flavour, you can add spices like nutmeg, red pepper flakes, or crushed red pepper. Fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, or parsley can also be sprinkled on top.
Finally, you can experiment with different types of cheese. Mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, fontina, asiago, pecorino romano, and fresh ricotta are all popular choices that will take your white pizza to the next level.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need the following ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ricotta
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Red pepper flakes
You can either make your own dough or buy it from the grocery store. If you're making your own, combine yeast, honey or sugar, and water in a large bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes or until it bubbles, then add flour and salt. Form the dough into a ball, then drizzle olive oil on top.
First, brush the dough with garlic oil. Then, spread a layer of ricotta on top, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Next, add mozzarella, followed by Parmesan.
Bake the pizza in the oven at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling.
Yes, you can top your pizza with fresh basil, thyme, lemon zest, or red pepper flakes. If you want to add some extra vegetables, try spinach, caramelized onion, or mushrooms.
