Creamy Spinach
Bacon Pizza
Celebrate spring with this vibrant pizza featuring a rich creamy mushroom sauce, tender blanched spinach, and crispy bacon, finished with toasted pine nuts.
With its lush green hues and deeply savory profile, this pizza feels like a breath of fresh spring air. The earthy richness of a creamy mushroom base perfectly balances the vibrant, tender spinach and salty, rendered bacon. A final garnish of raw garlic slices and toasted pine nuts adds layers of aromatic complexity and crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 portion pizza dough
- 12 cup creamy mushroom sauce
- 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup fresh spinach, blanched and squeezed dry
- 4 strips bacon, sliced into small rectangles
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
- to taste parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- as needed yellow cornmeal
Instructions
- 1Shape the pizza dough
Place the round pizza dough onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with yellow cornmeal. Use your hands to gently press and shape the dough into an even circle, leaving a slightly thicker border to form the crust.
Tip: Using cornmeal instead of flour prevents sticking while giving the bottom of the baked crust a lovely, rustic crunch. - 2Spread the base sauce
Begin by spooning a rich, creamy mushroom sauce onto the center of the pizza dough. Use the back of the spoon to spread the sauce outwards in an even layer, leaving a small, clean border around the edge for the crust to form.
Tip: Ensure the dough is at room temperature before spreading the sauce. Cold dough tends to spring back, making it harder to get an even spread without tearing. - 3Add the mozzarella cheese
Once the creamy mushroom sauce is evenly spread across the base, generously sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Ensure a uniform layer so the pizza gets a perfect, melty cheese pull in every bite.
Tip: Leave a small rim around the edge of the dough free of sauce and cheese to allow the crust to puff up properly in the oven. - 4Distribute the blanched spinach
Take your pre-blanched spinach and distribute the vibrant green pieces evenly across the cheese layer. Make sure the spinach is well-drained and excess moisture is squeezed out to prevent the pizza from becoming soggy.
Tip: Blanching the spinach slightly softens it and preserves its bright green color without it burning instantly under the high heat of the oven. - 5Layer the bacon
Arrange small, rectangular slices of raw bacon evenly over the spinach layer. As the pizza bakes, the bacon fat will render down, imparting a rich, smoky, and savory flavor into the spinach and cheese below.
Tip: Cutting the bacon into smaller, bite-sized rectangles makes the final baked pizza much easier to slice and eat. - 6Garnish with garlic slices
Scatter thin slices of raw garlic across the pizza, distributing them among the bacon and spinach. This adds a pungent, aromatic flavor profile that perfectly complements the rich cream and savory meat.
Tip: Slice the garlic uniformly thin so that it cooks evenly and mellows out without overpowering any single bite. - 7Top with more cheese
Finish the pizza assembly by sprinkling a final, light layer of shredded mozzarella cheese over the toppings. This extra cheese will melt beautifully over the spinach, bacon, and garlic, helping to bind everything together as it bakes.
Tip: Keep this final cheese layer light so that the vibrant colors of the spinach and bacon remain visible after baking. - 8Bake the pizza
Carefully transfer the fully assembled pizza onto the conveyor belt of the oven. Ensure it lies flat so it cooks evenly as it passes through the heating chamber. The high, consistent heat will melt the cheese and crisp the crust perfectly.
Tip: If baking at home without a conveyor oven, preheat a pizza stone or baking steel in your oven to the highest setting for at least 30 minutes before sliding the pizza onto it. - 9Remove from the oven
Once the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and completely melted, use a pizza peel to carefully remove the hot pizza from the oven. The spinach should be slightly wilted but still vibrant, and the bacon perfectly rendered.
Tip: Let the pizza rest for just a minute or two on a cooling rack before cutting. This brief rest allows the hot melted cheese to set slightly, preventing it from sliding off the slice. - 10Slice the pizza
Transfer the baked pizza to a large cutting board. Use a sharp, circular pizza cutter to divide the pizza into even wedges. Press down firmly to cut completely through the crisp crust and toppings in one smooth motion.
Tip: A swift, firm rolling motion with the cutter yields the cleanest slices, preventing the delicate spinach leaves and bacon from dragging across the melted cheese. - 11Garnish with pine nuts
Finish the dish by evenly sprinkling toasted pine nuts over the freshly cut slices. The pine nuts add a delightful, buttery crunch and a nutty flavor that perfectly complements the creamy base, savory bacon, and fresh spinach.
Tip: Toasting the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet beforehand enhances their natural oils and deepens their nutty flavor profile.
