Can I make this pizza on a baking steel or pizza stone?

You might remember that we typically bake our pizza recipes by sliding the pizza onto a hot baking steel in the oven. For this veggie breakfast pizza, though, we prefer to use a baking sheet because it's so much easier to move the pizzas around with the eggs on top! If you would rather use a baking steel or pizza stone, we recommend cooking the eggs separately and adding them to the pizza once it's already baked. You can also make this pizza in a cast iron skillet (similar to our deep dish pizza ).

Can I use a different breakfast pizza sauce?

Of course! If you don't have (or don't like) pesto, you can use a bit of olive oil or a simple white sauce in its place. You can also use a classic pizza sauce if you like, although we find that a tomato sauce can sometimes overpower the veggies on this pizza.

Can I save and reheat leftover breakfast pizza?

This pizza is best eaten right after it's baked! The egg doesn't keep especially well in the fridge and can turn rubbery when it's reheated. If you expect to have leftovers, we recommend baking this pizza without the eggs: Cook any eggs separately and add them only to the pizza slices you plan to eat, then save the egg-less pizza slices in an airtight container in the fridge for later.

Is this a vegetarian breakfast pizza?

It depends on the cheese you use! Gruyere is frequently made with animal rennet, which makes it unsuitable for strict vegetarian diets. To make a true vegetarian breakfast pizza, look for gruyere varieties made without animal rennet (like Boar's Head Gruyere Cheese ), or opt for another vegetarian cheese.

Spring Veggie Breakfast Pizza

Description

This quick and simple spring breakfast pizza is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients

Scale

1 batch of pizza dough
1/2 cup basil pesto
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
4 asparagus spears, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup peas (frozen is fine)
2-4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh arugula, for garnish

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Instructions

Heat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
Stretch pizza dough into shape and lay it on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (We made individual-sized pizza in these photos - see recipe notes for other size options).
Spread pesto across the pizza dough, leaving some space around the edges for the crust. Top with gruyere.
Add asparagus and peas to the pizza, leaving some empty space in the very center (this is where your egg will go!). Basically, we're using the veggies to create a bit of a dam that will keep our egg in place when we transfer it to the oven.
Gently press down on the center of each pizza to create a small well, then carefully crack an egg into each well. Transfer sheet pan to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is browned and egg is set.
Top pizza with a handful of fresh arugula and a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

What size should I make my pizza? In the photos above, we made two small pizzas (about 6 inches in diameter). You can make one large pizza if you like, or you can divide the dough into 4 portions for mini pizzas. You will likely need to adjust the bake time depending on the size of your pizza: Keep an eye on it as it cooks and let it bake until the crust is browned and puffy, the cheese is bubbling, and the egg has set.

How many eggs should I use? If you’re making one large pizza, we recommend using 3-4 eggs (place the toppings strategically to create several small wells, so that each egg has a designated spot!) If you’re making individual-sized pizzas, we recommend using 1 egg per pizza. It can take some practice to get your eggs to stay in place!

As written, this recipe aims for well done eggs with fully set whites and thick, jammy centers. For runny egg yolks, bake the pizza without eggs for the first 5-8 minutes of baking, then add eggs and return the pizza to the oven until it’s fully cooked. Baking eggs on top of pizza isn’t a perfect science: A bunch of different variables will impact the final texture of the eggs (like your oven, your pizza dough, the final bake time, etc). If you want more control over the texture of your eggs, we recommend cooking the eggs separately and adding them to the pizza once it’s baked (we love adding over-easy eggs and poached eggs to this pizza!)

Additions and Substitutions. Add extra veggies (mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, zucchini) or protein (bacon, ham, breakfast sausage) to these pizzas if you like. Use white cheddar or mozzarella in place of some or all of the gruyere cheese. Swap the basil pesto for arugula pesto or garlic scape pesto.