What Is White Pizza (Pizza Bianca)?

If you’ve ever been to an upscale pizza restaurant, you’ve probably come across the white pizza phenomenon (aka Pizza Bianca, pizza bianco, or pizza blanco). Instead of a pie laced with tomato sauce and topped with cheese and toppings, white pizza has a simple sauce of garlic olive oil or, sometimes, pesto.

The backbone of the pizza really relies on the different cheese varieties for a different flavor profile. You’ll often see white pizzas topped with arugula or basil after baking for a bit of a peppery, green element.Sometimes you’ll even see a white pizza topped with fresh tomatoes or meats like spicy salami.

So what makes this the BEST white pizza recipe? First, this recipe uses my Same Day Pizza Dough, which is exceedingly easy to make and it’s full of flavor with great texture. Second, we make our own garlic oil for the pizza which only takes a few minutes but makes a huge difference.

Finally, I’ve isolated the best ever cheeses for white pizza! They’re a mix of flavorful, melty, and creamy cheeses that make up the perfect blend. This truly is a restaurant-quality white pizza recipe!

Making Pizza Dough for White Pizza (Pizza Bianca)

I love that you can make this same-day pizza dough and a couple of hours later have pizza on the table! You’ll still get tons of flavor in the dough and this recipe makes enough to have a pizza party while still having some leftover dough to freeze for next time.

1. Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm water and the olive oil and mix on medium-low for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
2. 1st rise. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours or until it’s doubled in size.
3. Shape. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. I like to use a scale here and dough balls that weigh 220g make about 11-12? pizzas, perfect for a pizza stone or pizza oven. You want to create balls of dough that are smooth and tight.
4. Proof. After you’ve shaped your dough balls, transfer them to a well-greased dough proofing box and lightly spray the tops of the dough with non-stick spray so they don’t dry out. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before using. The dough will also last for at least 2 days in the fridge in this state and the flavors will only develop more over time.

How to Make a White Pizza at Home

1. Make the garlic oil. It’s as simple as mixing together a little grated garlic and olive oil. That’s it!
2. Stretch the dough. On a lightly floured surface, stretch your dough into an 11-12″ circle and place it on a pizza peel (if using a pizza oven or stone) or directly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Top. Brush the crust all over with the garlic olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes or chopped Calabrian chile. Top with cheese and freshly grate some pepper all over.
4. Cook. You’ll know the pizza is done baking when the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and browned. Once you pull the pizza out of the oven, top it with fresh arugula and more Parm.

Pizza Cooking Methods

Now that you have the pizza assembled, what’s the best way to cook a pizza? There are so many ways, but here are some of my favorites!

• Pizza oven. Obviously not everyone has a pizza oven, but my husband got me one for our anniversary and I am OBSESSED. We have the GOZNEY ROCCBOX and it truly makes the most superior pizza. It’s an investment for sure, but if you love pizza it’s a great one!
• Pizza stone. If you don’t have a pizza oven, the next best option is a pizza stone or steel! Make sure to preheat the stone in the oven for at least an hour before baking.
• Cast iron skillet. If you don’t mind a slightly thicker crust, baking a pizza in a cast iron skillet is one of my favorite methods that’s super cost effective. I’ve got a whole recipe dedicated to skillet pizza HERE.
• Baking sheet. Stretch your dough out onto a greased baking sheet, top, and bake at high temperature for a rustic and delicious pizza.

Ways to Customize Your Pizza

Think of this pizza as a loose blueprint that you can adjust to suit your tastes and whatever you have on hand!

• Add meat. You can keep this White Pizza vegetarian, but you can also add meats like sausage, meatball, pepperoni, or spicy salami to mix it up.
• Swap cheeses. I picked my favorites, but you can mix in different cheeses like fontina, feta, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, burrata, etc.
• Add some veggies. If you want to add some veggies and texture, vegetables like mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions, peppers, etc would all be great additions!