Bruschetta Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella & Basil

I’ve been wanting to blog about my homemade pizza for a long time.  It’s a staple around here, and frankly since I started making it, my family really doesn’t want any other pizza.  Not braggin’……just sayin’……

The crust and sauce are both made from scratch.  Sometimes I make the crust 100% whole wheat (freshly ground flour), and other times I make it half and half.  The 100% whole wheat is good, but (Shhhhh!) I do prefer it with a little of the unbleached all purpose white flour thrown in. And that still makes it multi-grain….plus since my whole wheat flour is “freshly ground” all those vitamins and nutrients should count for something right? 

So last night….we were doing a pizza night here….I mixed up the dough in my kitchen aid mixer. The girls were anxious to get going on it, so I decided we’d do “make our own” personal pizzas. They were thrilled! 
I gave them each a sheet of foil, poured a dollop of olive oil on it and handed them a ball of dough.  They were able to make it as thin or thick as they wanted. 

I preheated the oven to 500 degrees….you need it REALLY hot…those ovens in the pizza joints are around 900 degrees.  If they were making a medium or thicker crust, I put theirs in to parbake…just 4-5 minutes, then pulled it out for them to spread the sauce on and add their toppings.My husband and I both like the crust THIN N’ CRISPY, so we put ours in to cook after everything is on it.  We also like to spread some extra-virgin olive oil and minced garlic on top of the dough before adding our sauce and toppings. 

My Crust

1 1/4 cup warm water (not hot/not cold…room temp)
1 T yeast
3 cups flour (I used 2 cups ww, 1 cup all-purpose this time)
1 tsp sea salt
2 T olive oil (I use evoo)

Mix in mixer for about a minute. Switch to dough hook and knead at speed two for 6 minutes.  Let rest/rise in bowl for 10-20 minutes.  Dough is ready to use or you can freeze.  Dough is good overnight in fridge, and actually is better the next day…but if you need to store it for longer than one day…freeze it.  I flatten it into round disc shapes and wrap in plastic wrap.  Those are then placed in freezer bags.  Dough makes 3 large pizzas or 5-6 personal pizzas. 

My Sauce

16 oz. tomato sauce (I use organic)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
2 T sugar
little sea salt

A couple notes –
* yes, white sugar….I very rarely use it, but it in pizza and spaghetti sauce it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.  I prefer a sweet sauce. I’ve heard there are other ways (is it baking soda?), but have yet to experiment.  If you have other ways to share..I’d love to hear them.

*I used to mix this in a small saucepan on the stove, thinking I needed to cook it first.  Orangette is the first place I ever stumbled onto not needing to “cook” the sauce first.  Since then I’ve seen it countless other places.  It certainly makes things much easier.  Last night was my first try at this, and I just mixed all the ingredients in my food processor!!  Ta-da….done.  Awesome!

And now that I am overcoming my fear of tomatoes….I’ll likely try the sauce with fresh tomatoes at some point….see below

My Toppings

I haven’t blogged about it yet, but Friday night I took a stab at homemade bruschetta.  I used a large container of Campari tomatoes that I picked up at Costco for the occasion…and yes, it was strange to buy tomatoes!  I was scared I’d let them go to waste.  I kept them on my counter (as you all had told me) until ready to use them.  The bruschetta turned out great…even my tomato fearing husband liked/likes it!!  A feat in and of itself.  I do intend on sharing that recipe later this week.

I had bruschetta left over, and had been thinking all afternoon that I would prefer that on my pizza instead of tomato sauce.  I was not disappointed!!  So for my pizza….after the evoo and minced garlic (after pressing it out into a very thin crust), I spread bruschetta on.  I then added bits of fresh mozzarella all over.  I put bits of Kalamata olives on half, and diced up fresh basil to go over the entire pizza. 

I baked mine on the lower rack for about 20 minutes or so.  Keep a close eye on it.  I like my crust crispy, and the cheese to get all brown and bubbly.  Of course everyone is different. The girls just had sauce and fresh mozzarella.  You may be surprised to hear that this was my first time buying and using fresh mozzarella…all I can say is “wow.”  It was cost effective to get at Costco (and hormone free), so I’ll be buying it as a staple from now on. 

Hope you enjoy…..I’d love to hear your thoughts on toppings (the sky is the limit), and hear of your pizza escapades.  Homemade pizza is very soul satisfying, and if you’ve never tried it…..I highly recommend. Thanks for stopping by!

“Facebook recommends” and “shares” are much appreciated! Thanks!!

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46 Responses to Bruschetta Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella & Basil

  1. Wenchie says:

    That looks so tasty, and the crust looks very easy to make! I must try it when I get my paws on some yeast.

  2. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says:

    Hi Denise 🙂 YUM!! Haven't had pizza in a couple of weeks – think it's about time now 🙂 I like the way yours looks – not so cluttered with toppings that you can't see the crust. I like black olives, basil or rocket and ANCHOVIES! Cheese too of course LOTSA cheese.

  3. Jules says:

    That looks so delicious; I love whole wheat crust. Thank you for sharing!

    Jules
    alittlebiteoflife.net

  4. Jamie says:

    That is one gorgeous pizza! I need to try your crust recipe!

  5. Denise says:

    Thanks for stopping by! I made the pizzas again last night, but this time I added about 3 T honey to the crust to make it Honey Whole Wheat crust (which I love at California Pizza Kitchen)! I increased the flour by 1/2 – 1 cup. It was very tasty, and we even made a dessert pizza out of some of it (cooked thin and plain, then added melted butter and cinammon). We then ate it warm/toasting with a scoop of ice cream on it! The girls loved it!!

  6. Heather says:

    I cut the acidity in tomato sauce with a little bit of bacon drippings. Not the healthiest thing in the world but it works great

  7. janelle says:

    I cannot WAIT to make pizza dough!!! I just bookmarked this recipe… Just had pizza on Elba Island off the coast of Tuscany… and I bet yours was better;)

  8. Bridgett says:

    The crust looks perfect! I could use a delicious slice of pizza today, well, I could use a slice any day, actually. Yours looks heavenly.

  9. 3 hungry tummies says:

    I would love to make pizza at home, thanks for the recipe!

  10. Paula says:

    Denise, this looks great! We make homemade pizza crust and sauce around here, too, and LOVE IT. I can't wait to hear about your homemade bruschetta. I've never done that before. Sounds wonderful.

    (And I've never cooked my sauce either.)

    🙂

  11. Kristi Maloney says:

    Denise,

    You've won the I'dog Amp'd. But didn't leave your email! Please email me your address. maloney.kristi@gmail.com.

    Kristi

  12. Tia says:

    those darker parts of cheese would be my fave part!

  13. Jen S. says:

    Never cook your sauce? So much time wasted! I wasted time last night, in fact, before I put a lasagna together. I'm on board with no-cook next time I make pizza.

    My favorite toppings are mushrooms and salami with a red sauce. With pesto I like chicken, mushrooms, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts. I use a Trader Joe's four cheese blend because I hate grating my own!

  14. bonnie says:

    Delish!! I love your crust!!

    sweetlife

  15. Kathleen says:

    This looks unbelievable!

  16. Carolyn Jung says:

    There is nothing better than freshly baked bread with sweet tomatoes and gooey cheese. Seriously. Nothing can top that. 😉

  17. ♥LOVE2COOK♥ says:

    Wow, tempting pizza! yummmmmm! 😀

  18. Saveurs et Gourmandises says:

    It looks delicious.
    I like your pizza.
    See soon.

  19. Deepa G Joshi says:

    wow, what a lovely click and totally delicious..too good. I am hungry now 🙂

  20. Fresh Local and Best says:

    Pizza that beats any other? I'll have to try it. In the past, I have had good luck with creating chewy crispy crusts, and I think it is because of overnight refrigeration of the crust.
    Pizza looks great!

  21. Velva says:

    I can see why your family would not want anything else-it looks fabulous. Fresh, crusty and cheesy too. Delicious!

  22. aimee & fromchapelhilltochickenville says:

    Denise, This looks so yummy, seems like I could reach in and grab it. I just learned how to make mozzerella, but I'm thinking after learning a trip to the grocery store is much easier. We love making pizza at our house.
    Aimee

    PS. Thanks for your nice comments on my blog. You CAN make a doll cake. It's really one of the easiest cakes to make. Your other food looks so yummy, I know decorating would be a breeze for you.

  23. aimee & fromchapelhilltochickenville says:

    Denise, This looks so yummy, seems like I could reach in and grab it. I just learned how to make mozzerella, but I'm thinking after learning a trip to the grocery store is much easier. We love making pizza at our house.
    Aimee

    PS. Thanks for your nice comments on my blog. You CAN make a doll cake. It's really one of the easiest cakes to make. Your other food looks so yummy, I know decorating would be a breeze for you.

  24. JG says:

    Denise, your pizza looks sooo goood! I've never made pizza crust. Using your recipe I will make it. The fact the dough can be placed in the freezer is a big plus. Thanks for the recipe and helpful hints.

  25. Simply Life says:

    oh my! this looks aaaamaaazing!

  26. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    This looks delicious! Yum 🙂

  27. Kathleen says:

    Oh how I love pizza and homemade is always the best!

  28. Stella says:

    Hi Denise, I really like your header-simple and pretty. This pizza doesn't look half bad either. I might use this recipe today to make lunch for my fiance, as I was planning to make pizza this week.

  29. SashaInTheKitchen says:

    That looks amazing Denies. I love a whole wheat crust and as basic as it may be Tomato, basil and mozzarella is my favorite way to make pizza. Love it!!! Beautiful presentation too

  30. Pamela @ Seeds of Nutrition says:

    Hi Denise,
    Oh My! Now I'm craving and smelling hot pizza :)! I should not be looking at blogs of any kind that have food on them this late at night. Still wide awake and so am reading blogs.
    I make a whole wheat with olive oil crust for myself and guests but a GF crust from my husband. My toppings are vastly different each time..its usually according to what is on hand.Sauce is always homemade, never out of a can.
    Pamela @ Seeds of Nutrition

  31. Through My Kitchen Window says:

    You sound like my kind of gal. My kids cannot look at another bought pizza again since I began making them from scratch. I also make the sauce and the base and I really love just a simple topping of bocconcini, proscuitto and pineapple or olives. It took me ages to work out how to get a nice crispy base in a domestic oven,but I have finally done it. This post makes me want to blog about my version. Great job and it is so nice to meet you. Mariana.

  32. Mary says:

    The pie looks amazing, Denise. I stopped by to say hello and stayed much longer than I planned. I really like your blog and will be back often to see what's been going on.

  33. Denise says:

    Thanks for visiting!!! I haven't been ignoring anyone…just been on a much needed 10 day family vacation. I'm hoping to get a new post up on the bruschetta I made in the next few days. I'm off to try for today, but hubby may whisk us all out to another Disney park before I get it finished. Thanks!!

  34. Simply Luxurious says:

    Denise,

    I just wanted to let you know the recipe looks absolutely amazing and I've included it on my Sunday "Cups of Tea" to share with my readers. Stop on by on March 14th to have look. Thanks again for sharing.

  35. monicajane says:

    that looks like real italian pizza…the kind you find in italy…
    sounds delicious.

    (not that italian pizza is necessarily more "real" then american pizza… it's italian americans who made pizza what it is)

  36. Kim at Rustic Garden Bistro says:

    Hi Denise:

    Wanted to say hello and thank you for adding me as a friend on FBF.

    This pizza is delicious! I love a good pizza, and your post is inspiring me to go make one. 🙂 Happy Spring!

    Kim

  37. Ms. Wells says:

    This looks lovely! Nothing beats a good pizza crust recipe!

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  40. Sherri says:

    My mouth watered just looking at your pizza! I’ve yet to make homemade pizza dough in my Kitchen Aid standmixer yet, this recipe gives me the perfect excuse. And the sauce seems to so easy to make too. I always but store bought.

    I put brown sugar in my spaghetti sauce, but my ex sister in law taught me to throw a carrot in with the sauce, as it also helps reduce the acidity.

    lol…now guess what I will be craving all night?
    Sherri recently posted..Chocolate Covered Strawberries The Perfect Summer Treat

  41. Shiela says:

    I am a beginner and need a little more instruction. This might seem stupid to the rest of you cooks but how long does the yeast have to sit before I add all the ingresients, and does T mean table spoon. I have always seen it as tbs or something.

    • Denise says:

      Sheila,

      The yeast only need to sit maybe 15-20 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. Yes T means tablespoon. Frequently seen either T or Tbs (as long as it’s capitalized. small t and tsp are both teaspoon. Hope you enjoy it!! 🙂

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