Yep, that's right egg pizza. Actually, egg on pizza is not uncommon, yet whenever I mention this recipe, friends are always surprised. Their surprise grows when I tell them we make it from scratch. The recipe is from my friend Lisa Barnes, author of The Petite Appetite Cookbook.
Egg Pizza
INGREDIENTS:
Dough
- 1 package yeast [1 tablespoon]
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
- 3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand until foamy. Add remaining ingredients to yeast and water. Mix together & knead by had until dough is smooth, about 3 minutes. Make dough into ball, return to bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled.
Spray baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Place dough in center of pan and press with fingers to spread and cover pan. Bake in preheated 425º oven until just firm and edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and leave crust in pan.
Notes:
This dough is super easy to make, and it's great to have D's help. He has fun punching and kneading the dough. It's usually drafty and cool in SF. So, I like to place the dough in its bowl on top of the stove while the oven is warming to 425º.
Pesto
- 3 cups packed, washed and stemmed spinach leaves
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Place spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until chopped and combined. With machine running, add oil in a steady stream and process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Scrape down sides halway through processing. Add cheese and process just until blended.
Notes:
I add the garlic to the food processor first while it's running, then i scrape down the sides and add the rest of the ingredients and follow the directions as stated. I also like to use 2 garlic cloves. It adds a lot of zing to the pesto. I also find that a bag of pre-washed spinach is almost equivalent to 3 cups of packed spinach.
Assemble
Spread pesto sauce on top partially baked dough. Crack eggs onto pizza and top with 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Bake until eggs are cooked and dough is golden and crisp to desired doneness.
Notes:
There is debate in our house as to whether we should break the yolk or leave it whole. It's a great presentation when the yolk is intact, but I always break it. You can also use this recipe anytime of day. If we plan to serve it for breakfast or an early brunch, we follow the basic recipe. If it's going to be dinner, I'll add other ingredients like roasted asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower. Sometimes cooked turkey bacon is added along with oil cured black olives.
Of course, you can always buy pre-made fresh dough and pesto for a really quick dinner!
Enjoy,
F&N