Pizza Bianca

Pizza bianca means white pizza, and this version takes the no-tomato Italian classic in a French direction with a generous pound of Gruyère cheese as the topping. The result tastes like a French country pizza with the chewy crust of Italy and the nutty melted cheese of Alpine cooking.

The sauce-replacement is brilliant: olive oil pureed in a food processor with shallot, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. This herbed oil paints onto the dough as a glossy savory base that perfumes the whole crust as it bakes. No tomato, no cream sauce, just olive oil doing all the work.

The dough is a standard yeast pizza dough: 10 minutes of mixer kneading, an hour rise, then divided and rolled thin (⅛ inch is correct).

Baking on a cake rack or perforated pan is the smart move from the directions. Air circulation under the crust gives you a properly crisp bottom without needing a pizza stone. Hot oven (475°F or 245°C), 10 minutes, edges lightly browned.

Pro Tips

• Let the rolled dough rest 5 minutes before topping. It relaxes and stops shrinking back during baking.
• Process the herb oil until fully smooth, about a full minute, scraping down the sides. Chunky bits will burn on the hot crust.
• Grate the Gruyère yourself from a block. Pre-grated cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
• Serve immediately. Pizza bianca cools fast and the cheese stiffens within minutes.

Variations

• Top with thinly sliced potatoes and rosemary just before baking for a starch-on-starch Roman style.
• Add a handful of arugula and a drizzle of truffle oil after baking for a salad-pizza hybrid.
• Use a mix of Gruyere, Fontina, and Parmigiano for a deeper cheese profile.