white dill pickle pizza
Last week, the theme was peaches. This week, it’s pickles.
Well, honestly, we’re still doing some peachy shit over here this week, but as far as my planned content goes, it’s pickles through and through. The humble pickle is a summertime icon: salty and briny, yet fresh, a few slices here and there wedged on a burger or tossed on a salad as a final garnish is just quintessential for the season.
And sure, why not speckle a pizza with some pickles? This White Dill Pickle Pizza is perfect for busy weeknights and when you buy an extra jar of mini dill pickles from Trader Joe’s even though you already had one opened in the fridge. Because you’re a fucking unobservant doofus.
This bad boy is spread with my favorite dill pickle ranch, sprinkled with two types of cheese, and finished with lots of pickle coins and bacon – tofu or regular, of course – before the pie is slid in the oven and baked until the cheese oozes temptingly onto the golden brown crust.
With a few shortcuts, including leftover tofu bacon and storebought dough, this pizza is done in about 35 minutes. Sweet.
Dilly Dilly
Dill pickle ranch is one of my favorite condiments right now, and steps up as the sauce base of our pizza. I may or may not have swiped a spoonful and dipped a few potato chips in it. That good, people.
To make, combine Greek yogurt, vegan or regular mayo, dried dill, garlic and onion powders, pickle brine, some chopped pickles, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. You will have some left over after you make your pizzas. Why not have a taco night and mix up the leftover ranch with slaw greens? Probably what I’m gonna do tomorrow.
Take your dough ball, homemade or no (if doing homemade, add about 75 minutes or so to prep time. I like to make dough the morning of and let it hang out while I go grocery shopping and shit) and divide in half. Punch, pull, roll, push, or flip until it forms about a 10 inch circle.
Place the circle onto a baking sheet dusted lightly with cornmeal. Brush with olive oil and poke a few holes with the tines of a fork. Parbake for 5-6 minutes at 500 degrees. The parbaking process stabilizes the crust so the toppings don’t render a soggy bottom. No one likes a soggy bottom.
Assemble! Spread with some ranch, then sprinkle with a combination of mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese, chopped pickles, and finally some crumbled tofu or regular bacon.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese melts and the crust deepens in hue. Repeat the above process with the second dough ball: rolly rolly, spready spready, sprinkly sprinkly, dusty dusty, bakey bakey.
Eaty eaty!
Serve this for dinner, or at your summer cookouts as a light appetizer. Tip: cut into smaller slices to feed more folks! Leftovers keep well for 4-5 days, and to reheat, I prefer warming in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes to preserve the structural integrity of the crust.
Enjoy, kids! See you in a few with a tasty sweet treat that does NOT contain pickles. Cos that’d be batshit.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Miss American Pie:
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Olive Cheese Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust
white dill pickle pizza
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- 1/3 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp pickle brine
- 3/4 cup dill pickles, chopped, divided
- 4-6 strips tofu or regular bacon
- 1 cup low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly dust a large baking sheet with cornmeal.
- For the ranch: combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, garlic, onion, brine, 1/4 cup of the chopped pickles, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Divide the dough ball in half. Working one half at a time, pinch, twist, and roll into an approximately 10 inch circle. Set onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush with about 1/2 tablespoon oil and poke holes in the center with a fork. Parbake 5-6 minutes until lightly golden.
- Spread 1/4 cup of the dill ranch on the bottom of the parbaked crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese, 1/4 cup of the remaining chopped pickles, and 2-3 crumbled bacon strips. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the crust is crispy and the cheese gooey and melted.
- Repeat above two steps with the remaining dough ball. Serve pizza hot with extra ranch and fresh herbs, as desired.
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.
