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    Whip & Wander » Recipes » pizza

    Published: Nov 6, 2020 · Modified: May 17, 2022 by Jenni · This post may contain affiliate links.

    White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey

    This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
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    White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey on a parchment lined baking sheet
    a hand pulling a square of White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey away from the main pie
    squares of White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey on a brown parchment paper
    a closeup of White Pizza with parmesan sauce, honey, and ricotta cheese dollops

    a side view of White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey resting on a baking sheet on a wooden surface

    Creamy, Spicy, and Sweet

    If we're ranking favorite pizza combinations in my household this White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey is putting up a good fight for top billing. This pizza is equal parts creamy, spicy, and sweet with a creamy garlic parmesan sauce, rich whole milk ricotta, a spicy kick from hot pickled peppers in oil, and a drizzle of sweet honey.

    a hand smoothing garlic parmesan sauce over pizza dough

    a hand sprinkling parmesan cheese over pizza dough with white sauce

    For those who need the over-the-top cheese pull

    This pizza is topped with a creamy garlic parmesan sauce, covered in shredded parmesan, dolloped with rich ricotta, and finally drizzled with honey which I feel is the perfect balance of creamy and sweet to temper the heat from the hot pickled peppers. However, if you're feeling particularly indulgent, you can add up to 4oz shredded mozzarella cheese also. I generally prefer to not do this as the pizza really doesn't need it, but some people really feel like a pizza needs that over-the-top classic cheese-pull so I've tested this pizza both ways and you can get away with adding it. Just be warned that if you choose to add the mozzarella, this pie can be a little bit much -- But sometimes that's exactly the right thing.

    a hand spooning ricotta cheese over the top of a pizza

    dollops of ricotta cheese being added to a pizza

    Let's talk about the hot pickled peppers for a moment

    The hot pickled peppers are my favorite thing about this pizza so don't be tempted to swap them out for sweet, raw ones. The rich and creamy nature of this pizza is perfectly paired with the spicy heat from the peppers, so one without the other just doesn't produce the same flavor magic. I prefer to use these pickled goat horn peppers in oil for this pizza. Though they are labeled "mild" I think they give the perfect kick of spice to this pizza. If you prefer to go up another notch in heat, they do have a spicier version here too.

    a fork placing hot pickled peppers over the top of a pizza

    an unbaked pizza with parmesan sauce, ricotta cheese, and hot pickled peppers

    a closeup of an unbaked pizza with hot peppers, ricotta, and parmesan sauce

    REHEATING PIZZA LEFTOVERS

    My two favorite methods for reheating pizza so it retains a crisp crust is in the oven or in a cast-iron pan on top of the stove.

    Oven method: Bake on a sheet pan at 350 F / 175 C for 10 minutes or until pizza has reached your desired level of warmth and crispness.

    Stovetop method: Set pizza in a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Allow to cook until the crust has reached your desired level of crispness. If the cheese isn’t melted enough for your taste you can add a few drops of water to the pan (away from the pizza) and cover the pan for a minute or two to allow the steam to melt the cheese further.

    a White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers right out of the oven, resting on it's parchment lined baking tray

    a hand drizzling honey over the top of a pizza with hot peppers, and ricotta

    a closeup of White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey

    WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

    • A small saucepan
    • Measuring cups and measuring spoons
    • A whisk
    • A spatula
    • A small spoon
    • A fork
    • A cheese grater (only if you plan to use block cheese rather than pre-shredded)
    • A bakers half sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

    a White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey that has been sliced into squares

    a hand pulling a piece of pizza with red peppers off of a baking sheet

    Print
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    a side view of White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey resting on a baking sheet on a wooden surface

    White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey

    • Author: Whip & Wander
    • Prep Time: 12 minutes
    • Cook Time: 16 minutes
    • Total Time: 28 minutes
    • Yield: 1 large pizza 1x
    • Category: Pizza, Mains
    • Method: Oven / Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegetarian
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    Description

    White Pizza with Hot Pickled Peppers and Honey perfectly balances creamy, spicy, and sweet for your Friday pizza night!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the cheese sauce base:

    • 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 2 minced garlic cloves)
    • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
    • ⅔ cup whole milk
    • ⅔ cup parmesan cheese, grated
    • ¼ tsp Kosher salt
    • ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
    • 1 pinch ground nutmeg

    For the rest of the pizza:

    • ½ recipe Easy Same Day Pizza Dough
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
    • ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
    • ⅓ cup pickled peppers in olive oil (I prefer these mildly spicy ones but you can also use this hotter version if you like more heat)
    • 2 tbsp honey
    • Optional: If you want an extra-cheesy pizza, you can add 1 cup (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese along with the parm

    Instructions

    1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F / 260 degrees C and set a bakers half sheet to the side.

    For the cheese sauce base:

    1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat melt the garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + minced garlic) with the butter.
    2. When the butter has fully melted, add the flour and whisk to combine fully.
    3. Once the mixture has started to simmer and become frothy, add the milk slowly, whisking to combine. The mixture will look chunky at first but will smooth as you whisk.
    4. Once the milk is combined, add the parmesan cheese and continue to whisk until combined fully.
    5. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The sauce should have thickened considerably at this point and be fairly smooth. If your sauce is too thick, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine. Remove from heat and reserve to the side until ready to assemble the pizza.

    Assembling the pizza:

    1. Shape your dough. If you prefer a classic pie-shape with a thicker crust compared to the center of your dough, I suggest hand-stretching your dough. If you prefer your pizza to be an even thickness, I suggest rolling your dough out with a rolling pin.
      • If you are hand-stretching your pizza dough:
        1. I like to rub a small amount of olive oil into my hands first; this allows me to shape the dough easier without it ripping accidentally from friction.
        2. Press the dough down with the palm of your hand into a disk shape, then use your fingertips to gently press down on the dough disk, further flattening it.
        3. To further extend the dough, I prefer to press one palm on top of one side of the dough and with the other hand lift the alternative side of the dough and gently work the dough outward, pulling very gently with the tips of my oiled fingers (like a very discrete “come hither” motion) to slowly stretch the dough out. Rotate slightly and repeat until the dough is shaped and stretched to your liking. If you find that the dough starts to snap back or is beginning to tear, allow the dough to relax for a minute or two before proceeding again. Transfer your stretched dough to a sheet of parchment paper.
      • If you are using a rolling pin:
        1. I prefer to place my dough between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid the dough sticking to my rolling pin, but if you prefer you can also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough ball as well as wiping some over your rolling pin by hand to prevent sticking instead. Once the dough has been rolled to your preferred size and shape, peel the top layer of parchment paper off (if using). The bottom layer that the dough is resting on can be utilized for your baking sheet. If you find that the dough starts to snap back or is beginning to tear, allow the dough to relax for a minute or two before proceeding again.
    2. Transfer your shaped dough to the reserved baking sheet.
    3. Top with reserved cheese sauce, using the back of a spoon spread the sauce out evenly over the dough.
    4. Top the pizza with parmesan cheese (the optional mozzarella can also be added at this time if desired), then top with generous spoonfuls of ricotta in evenly dispersed dollops.
    5. Finally, add the pickled peppers, dispersing them evenly on the top. I prefer to add mine directly next to the dollops of ricotta so you get a bite of spice at the same time as a bite of creamy cheese.
    6. Bake for 16-22 minutes or until the crust has reached your preferred level of crispness and the cheese is fully melted. I find that pizzas that have a thinner topping layer take less time to bake and heavier-topped pizzas generally take a bit longer to bake so watch your pizza closely after the 16-minute mark and adjust as desired.
    7. Once the pizza is baked, drizzle the top with honey, slice, and serve warm.

    Notes

    Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.


    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: ¼th of the pizza
    • Calories: 615
    • Sugar: 12 g
    • Sodium: 589 mg
    • Fat: 29 g
    • Saturated Fat: 6 g
    • Carbohydrates: 67 g
    • Protein: 24 g
    • Cholesterol: 27 mg

    Keywords: White Pizza, Spicy Pickled Peppers, Ricotta, Honey

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