White Mushroom Pizza Recipe with Pecorino and Thyme

A super simple, yet absolutely delicious white mushroom pizza with creamy mozzarella, tangy pecorino and thyme. Bake to crispy perfection using our signature baking technique for a pizza that tastes like it was baked in an authentic Italian wood-fired oven.

There is pizza and then there is PIZZA.

Look, anyone can throw on some toppings and 'bake' a pizza. What makes this recipe wicked good is the flavor combination and baking technique. We want delectable mushrooms sandwiched between delicious-ooey- gooey cheese on a super crispy, exquisitely baked crust. And we want it fast.

If the flavors aren't enough to convince you, the simplicity of the recipe will. You press out a pre-made crust, put on the toppings and bake. The oven does the rest.

A perfectly blistered, bubbly pizza baked in just a few minutes.

As the pizza bakes, pour yourself a drink - we recommend a bottle of the 2019 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Smell the fragrance of the freshly baking dough. Take out the bubbling hot pizza, sprinkle with thyme, and a little red pepper (optional). Drizzle a little olive oil on top... or if you happen to have some good quality truffle oil on hand this is where you use it. A few drops of truffle oil is absolutely EPIC on this pizza.

Sink in your teeth and enjoy.

It's the closest thing to relishing a slice of pizza in Rome, except that you got it so much faster.

Just six simple ingredients

Below are the ingredients you need, all of which are easily available at your local grocery store.

• A pre-made pizza dough or store-bought crust. You can use your own homemade pizza dough or store bought. Both Whole Foods (best) and Trader Joe's carry some great pizza dough options.
• Olive oil. Just a little bit gives the crust a little color and a lovely crackly-crispy texture.
• Fresh mozzarella and grated pecorino. Creates that bed of creamy, cheesy deliciousness with pops of tangy flavor.
• Shitake mushrooms. These are our favorite mushrooms to use on pizza because of their deliciously spongy, very 'bite-able' texture and rich, savory flavor. Feel free to substitute with other types of mushrooms- like oyster, crimini and white button mushrooms.
• Fresh thyme and red chili flakes (optional). For a colorful garnish and contrasting explosive flavor.
• Truffle oil (optional). If you happen to have some good quality truffle oil on hand (e.g., by Truffleist) - this is where you use it. A few drops on top of this pizza makes it hands down delicious.

How to make pizza without special tools

We use a pizza steel and peel because it makes it very easy to bake pizzas. If you do not own these, don't worry, below is a guide on how and why we use them and some suggestions on how to repurpose your existing kitchen equipment to make pizza.

• Pizza steel. In addition to turning up the oven heat, a very hot surface is needed to get that perfectly crisp wood-fire-like bake. We get those results by pre-heating a pizza steel in the oven until it is blazing hot for optimal results. If you do not own a pizza steel, you can also use a pizza stone, cast iron griddle, a large inverted cast iron skillet, baking tray or cookie sheet. Pick the option that will absorb the most heat.
• Pizza peel. We use a pizza peel to slide the pizza in and out of the oven. If you do not have a peel, use a wooden cutting board. A spatula or tongs can be used to quickly lift and push the freshly baked pizza from the hot oven onto the cutting board.

How to make the BEST White Mushroom Pizza

Step 1: Preheat the oven.

• Set the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler. Place a pizza steel on the rack. Turn on the broiler to begin heating the oven for at least 45 minutes. If your pizza dough is in the fridge, set it on a counter to warm up to room temperature.

Step 2: Form the pizza base.

• Sprinkle the room temperature pizza dough ball with flour. Pour the dough ball onto a floured work surface and press into a round shape - about 12 inches in diameter. Create a ½-inch rim around the outer edge of the dough with your fingers.

Step 3: Assemble the pizza.

• Carefully lift the pizza base and place on a piece of parchment paper. Drizzle two teaspoons of olive oil onto the pizza base. Use a brush to distribute the olive oil evenly stopping short of the rim. Generously sprinkle the base with pecorino avoiding the pizza rim. Arrange slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and sliced mushrooms on top.

Step 4: Bake

• Pick up the parchment paper with the pizza and place it on a pizza peel or wooden cutting board.
• Open the hot, preheated oven and carefully slide the pizza onto the pizza steel. Broil for 2 minutes. Open the oven and remove the partially charred parchment paper using a pizza peel or spatula to lift up the pizza.
• Bake for another 2 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Using a pizza peel or spatula, remove the pizza from the oven and place onto a cutting board. Garnish with thyme and red pepper flakes (optional). Drizzle with the remaining olive oil or a few drops of some good quality truffle oil if you happen to have some. Serve hot, immediately.

Tips

Do not skip the preheating process. The oven needs to be super hot to replicate the wood fire oven traditionally used to make pizza in Italy.

Use a pizza steel or substitute. You need a very hot surface to get a crisp bottom crust. If you do not have a pizza steel use a cast iron griddle or inverted cast iron skillet.

Pizza dough should be at room temperature. If you are using frozen pizza dough thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Place the cold pizza dough on a counter for an hour to reach room temperature.

Monitor the pizza while it bakes. Monitor the pizza while it bakes as the pizza bakes very quickly. The optimal baking time may vary by a few seconds from oven to oven.

If using dough make sure it is at room temperature. Rest the dough for at least an hour outside the refrigerator to bring the dough to room temperature before preparing the pizza.

Nutrition

A serving of this white mushroom pizza recipe has about 173 calories, 3.9 grams of protein, 12.6 grams of fat, and 11.7 grams of carbohydrates.

This white mushroom pizza recipe yields approximately 4 servings.  The nutritional information is intended as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool.

How to store and reheat pizza

The amazing thing about this pizza is that it reheats beautifully.

Refrigerator. Leftover pizza can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

To reheat: The best way to reheat pizza is in the air fryer because the high heat helps re-crisp the pizza crust. Pick off the mushrooms and set aside (they'll burn to a crisp). Preheat to 350°F. Place the pizza slices in a single layer in the basket and air fry for 3-6 minutes or until the pizza is heated through. Place the mushrooms on top (the residual heat will warm them up), garnish (optional) and enjoy.

Other options include reheating on the stovetop (best for individual slices) or in the oven (perfect for whole pizza or several slices). For details please refer to our post on how to perfectly reheat pizza.

Freezer: Stored correctly in an airtight container, pizza will last about 60 days in the freezer. There is no need to thaw frozen pizza. Reheat like cold pizza - it just might take 1-2 minutes longer.

Serving suggestions

We usually eat pizza, on its own. To make it into a more sumptuous meal, I would pair it with light fresh salads like Greek Salad, Spicy Kani Salad, Lebanese Tabbouleh and Potato Salad. This pizza would also be fantastic cut into long strips and served as a side to a soup like our easy French Onion Soup and quick, 35-minute Tomato Basil Bisque Soup.

Variations

• Low Carb White Mushroom Pizza. Substitute the pizza crust with a cauliflower crust - excellent pre-made ones are available at Trader Joe's.
• Vegan Pizza. Use vegan mozzarella and pecorino. Vegan parmesan is also very tasty on this pizza.
• Mushroom Topping Variations. This pizza is perfect for mushroom lovers because you can top it with any kind of mushroom. The best mushrooms to use are those that are a little meatier - so don't slice the mushrooms too thin. Good options include portabella mushrooms, crimini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, white mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms. If you are a fan of caramelized mushrooms, cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat in some butter or olive oil. For the best results place the cooked mushroom on top of the pizza after it has been baked.
• Flatbread pizza. You can also make flatbread pizzas with this recipe. Simply use flatbread dough instead of pizza dough to make it.

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