Best Pesto Pizza Bread Recipes

ARTICHOKE, PESTO, AND GARLIC NAAN BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix olive oil, pesto, and garlic together in a bowl. Spread over naan bread. Top with mozzarella cheese and feta cheese. Scatter artichoke hearts, banana peppers, and turkey pepperoni on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, 7 to 9 minutes.

GRILLED FRENCH BREAD PIZZA WITH MUSHROOM PESTO AND FONTINA CHEESE

Steps:

• Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until softened, 30 minutes.
• Heat the grill to high.
• Brush the cremini or white button mushroom caps with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the grill, cap side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the caps over and continue grilling until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the grill, let cool slightly then coarsely chop.
• Remove the porcinis from the soaking liquid and place in the bowl of a food processor with a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Add cremini mushrooms, garlic pulp, walnuts, parsley and thyme in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the olive oil and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the Romano cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the bread on the cut side with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the pesto over the cut side of each half of bread. Top the pesto with the fontina cheese, return to the grill, cheese side up, close the cover of the grill and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the remaining Romano.

PESTO AND MOZZARELLA FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the pesto: Heat the oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Combine basil, 1 garlic clove and pine nuts in a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, stream in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add Parmesan and salt, and pulse to combine.
• Prepare the pizza: Combine the 1/4 cup olive oil and grated garlic in a small pot over medium. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the garlic starts to sizzle (but doesn't begin to brown), 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place the French bread cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush cut sides with garlic oil. Bake until edges are golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Spread the pesto over the two halves all the way to the edges and top with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is evenly melted, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to broil and broil (watch carefully!) until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes more. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Top with red-pepper flakes, oregano and more Parmesan, if you like.

ITALIAN BREAD CREAMY PESTO PEPPERONI PIZZA

Steps:

• Place one oven rack in upper-third of the oven, and the second oven rack on the lower third.
• Heat oven to 450°F (regular or convection air-bake).
• Half each loaf lengthwise, then crosswise to make 8 pizza crusts.
• In a bowl combine ricotta, pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
• Spread on the bread crusts.
• Sprinkle the olives on top of the ricotta.
• Top with pepperoni slices.
• Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Place 4 pizzas on one baking sheet and the other 4 on another baking sheet.
• Place on sheet on one rack and the other on the other rack.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes (the cheese should be well melted).
• Cool for about 5 minutes.

PESTO PIZZA BREAD

Steps:

• For Sauce.
• Combine first 6 ingredients in processor or blender and puree, stopping machine as necessary to scrape down sides of container; pour into bowl.
• Stir in cheeses, cover and refrigerate.
• (Flavor is better if cheeses are grated and added just before using.).
• For Bread.
• Grease two 14-inch pizza pans or heavy bottomed baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Oil large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Pour 2/3 cup warm water into another large bowl.
• Add yeast and sugar and stir until disolved.
• Let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in remaining water with olive oil and salt.
• Mix in about 5 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition, until dough comes away from sides of bowl.
• Sprinkle work surface with 1/2 cup remaining flour.
• Turn dough out onto surface and knead until dough is smooth, shiny and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to oiled bowl, turning to coat all surfaces.
• Cover with towel and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down, turn out onto floured surface and knead briefly into ball.
• Return to bowl, cover with towel and let stand in warm, draft-free area until doubled again, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down;.turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half;roll or pat each half into 14-inch circle.
• Transfer to prepared pans.
• Pinch up edges of dough to form shallow rim.
• Brush twice with egg mixture.
• Divide Pesto Sauce evenly between crusts.
• Let stand in warm, draft-free area for approximately 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Bake until crusts are golden brown,about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
• Bread may be wrapped in foil and refrigerated for several hours after baking and cooling. To reheat, sprinkle with a little water, wrap in foil and warm in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
• For variations,arrange slices of Fontina, Bel Paese, mozarella or provalone cheese over Pesto Sauce before baking.