Pesto Pizza

This Pesto Pizza is now my favourite pizza! Really! "Such a simple pizza, yet totally divine" as described by Rebecca Baugniet from the book "500 Pizzas and Flatbreads". And it is exactly that!

I use my Homemade Basil Pesto from my previous post, told you that I'm making something delicious! And could have knock myself for not trying this out sooner as making Pesto has been on my list for months! 

The taste is unbelievably delicious! So simple, yet so full and packed with flavour!

This is a thin pizza crust and it is so, so, crispy and tasty. The recipe states that the dough is to be divided into three, to make three 12-inch round pizzas. But my skill at rolling the dough to 1/2" pieces badly needs more practice (more pizza to eat! hahaha!). So I only made two pizzas which are meant for three! I thought that it would be like the regular crust, but am surprised that it actually turns out quite thin and oh, so crispy! I actually made this same crust for a sweet pizza in one of my older post, Strawberry Streusel Pizza.

Simple and easy, with only three ingredients for the topping. Pesto, tomatoes and cheese!

I have already used up more than half  jar of my Homemade Basil Pesto. Eagerly waiting for my basil plant to grow, for my next jar!

Perfect crust! Delicious topping! Definitely my favourite pizza, at the moment!

I'm sharing this with Hearth and Soul Hop over at Mom's Sunday Cafe

I'm submitting this to the Christmas Giveaway in The Sweet Spot, any dish or bake, sweet or savory, with green and/or red in it. Please hop over to The Sweet Spot for more details. 


Pesto Pizza
(adapted from "500 Pizzas and Flatbreads" by Rebecca Baugniet)
1 recipe basic thin pizza base**
175ml (6 fl oz) basic pesto
2 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
175gm (6 oz) grated mozzarella


Preheat the oven to the maximum setting, usually 240C (475F/Gas Mark 9). Place pizza stone or unglazed clay tiles on bottom of gas oven or lowest rack of electric oven.
Make three 30-cm (12-in) discs of pizza dough. Lightly dust pizza peel with flour or cornmeal.
Place one 30-cm (12-in) disc of pizza dough on peel and spread 60ml (4 tbsp) cup pesto over the dough, leaving a 1cm (1/2 in) border around the edge.
Arrange 6 to 8 slices of tomato and sprinkle 1/3 of the grated mozarella on top. Gently shake pizza from the peel to the stone or tiles.
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes, until cheese is melting and base is puffy around the edges and crisp on the bottom. Slide the peel back under the pizza to remove from oven. Repeat with remaining 2 pizzas.


** Basic Thin Pizza Base
(adapted from "500 Pizzas and Flatbreads" by Rebecca Baugniet)

This base rises only once and bakes in minutes, making it the quickiest base to make. It can be made into three 30-cm (12-in) pizzas, as desribed below, or divided into six individual 15-cm (6-in) pizzas. Baking time remains consistent.

175gm (6oz) plain flour
200gm (7 oz) strong white bread flour
5ml (1 tsp) sugar
5ml (1 tsp) easy-blend dried yeast
5ml (1 tsp) salt
22ml (1-1/2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
225ml (8fl oz) very warm water

To prepare the pizza dough, combine flours. Mix 225gm (8oz) flour with the sugar, yeast, and salt in bowl of standing mixer. Set aside. Combine olive oil and warm water. With paddle attachment, slowly stir in the water and oil into the flour mixture until well combined. Mix in the remaining flour.

Change to dough hook attachment and knead on low for 4 to 5 minutes, until dough comes together as a ball and is smooth and elastic. If not using a standing mixer, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with clean paper towel. Set aside in a warm spot for 1-1/2 to 3 hours, until dough has almost doubled in volume.

Once dough has risen, use a sharp knife to divide the ball into 3 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, and flatten to form a disc. Using fingers or rolling pin, stretch out each dist co 30-cm (12-in) rounds, which is very thin - about 2mm (1/12 in).

(my notes : I use the breadmaker to mix the dough, setting "Quick Dough", this setting will mix and knead the dough for six minutes. I removed the dough and let it rise in a greased bowl, covered with a greased cling film, for about 2 hours until doubled in size. I do not have a pizza peel or stone, I just baked the pizza on a regular 12-inch pizza pan, place it on the lowest rack in the oven, at 220C, and baked for about 20 minutes until sides are puffy and bottom is crispy)