A white pizza recipe skips tomato sauce and builds on garlic oil, ricotta and mozzarella. You bake the crust hot first, then add the toppings, so the cheese stays creamy and the base turns golden.
The method works in a standard home oven set as high as it goes. Pizza bianca, the plain Roman flatbread, is a different dish, and knowing the difference helps you pick the right recipe.
What Makes a White Pizza Different
White pizza is a pizza style with no tomato sauce, so the flavor comes from olive oil, garlic and cheese instead.
According to Wikipedia’s white pizza entry, the style is a pizza without tomato sauce, and the American version is listed as originating in the Northeastern United States. In Italy the same idea is often called pizza bianca, but that name can also refer to a Roman flatbread.
Pizza bianca, by contrast, comes from Rome. Wikipedia’s pizza bianca entry describes it as a plain yeast flatbread that more closely resembles focaccia than cheese-topped pizza. It can be split and filled with ingredients such as prosciutto or Parmesan.
Wikipedia lists the usual parts of the American-style pie as pizza dough, olive oil, garlic, cheese and salt, with optional toppings such as spinach, tomato and herbs. A béchamel sauce is sometimes used in place of tomato sauce, which shifts the flavor away from tomato.
The recipe below follows the American-style pie, the version most home cooks mean when they search for a white pizza recipe. It keeps the ingredient list short and uses only the cheeses and herbs that the source recipe calls for. For a seafood take on a white pie, see this clam pizza recipe.
Ingredients for a Classic White Pizza Recipe
A classic white pizza recipe starts with 1 pound of dough, 4 ounces of fresh mozzarella and a heaping 1/2 cup of whole milk ricotta.
The quantities below come from the Love and Lemons white pizza recipe, which serves 3 to 4 people.
- 1 pound pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- A heaping 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino
- Cornmeal, fresh basil leaves and red pepper flakes for finishing
Use whole milk ricotta, as the recipe specifies, and tear the mozzarella by hand. Torn pieces leave pockets of soft cheese across the pizza rather than one flat sheet.
How to Build the Garlic and Ricotta Base
Mix the grated garlic into the olive oil, season the ricotta, and spread both over the crust while leaving the outer edge bare. Those two layers are the flavor base of any white pizza recipe.
- Grate the 2 cloves of garlic and stir them into the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Mix the ricotta with the thyme, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt until it is spreadable.
- Brush the garlic oil over the par-baked crust, then spread the ricotta in thin dollops rather than one thick layer.
- Scatter the torn mozzarella and grated Parmesan or pecorino over the top before the final bake.
A thick layer of ricotta can hold moisture and slow browning, so spread it thin. In any white pizza recipe, the ricotta is the layer most likely to make the crust soft if it is piled high. The garlic stays in the oil rather than on top, where raw pieces can scorch before the crust colors.
Baking Temperature, Timing and Dough Prep
Bake a white pizza at 500°F, par-bake the crust for 5 minutes, then bake the topped pizza for 10 minutes until the cheese bubbles.
The Love and Lemons recipe sets the oven to 500°F, or as high as the oven goes, which is about 260°C. A white pizza recipe depends on heat, because the crust has to set before the cheese releases moisture. Preheat the oven fully before the crust goes in, and par-baking gives the crust a head start so the toppings only need the shorter bake.
Dough That Has Rested
For store-bought dough, take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours ahead and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before stretching. Homemade dough, such as bread flour pizza dough, needs about 1 hour to rise. Cold dough resists stretching, so the rest time comes before you shape the crust. If you are new to making dough, our beginner pizza guide covers the basics, and any extra dough can be frozen for a later bake.
Par-Baking the Crust for This White Pizza Recipe
Par-bake the stretched crust for 5 minutes, then remove it, add the garlic oil, ricotta and cheese, and bake for 10 more minutes. The crust should be browned at the edges and the cheese bubbling when the pizza comes out.
If your oven tops out below 500°F, expect a longer bake and a paler crust. Check the bottom and the top before you slide the pizza out.
Common Mistakes With White Pizza
A soggy white pizza most often traces back to heavy toppings placed on a crust that was never par-baked.
- Skipping the 5-minute par-bake, so the dough stays raw under the wet ricotta.
- Spreading the ricotta in one thick layer instead of thin dollops.
- Adding too much mozzarella, which releases water as it melts.
- Stretching dough straight from the fridge, which resists shaping and can tear.
- Leaving the ricotta unseasoned, which makes the base taste flat.
Most of these fixes come down to the same two steps in any white pizza recipe: par-bake the crust, then keep the toppings thin.
These tips apply to a home oven. A dedicated high-heat pizza oven behaves differently (see how pizza oven temperature varies by oven type), so follow the manufacturer’s guidance for that appliance.
Pizza Bianca and American White Pizza Compared
American white pizza is a topped pie with cheese and garlic, while pizza bianca is a plain flatbread from Rome that resembles focaccia.
The table below compares the two styles side by side, so you can tell which white pizza recipe you are following.
| Feature | American white pizza | Pizza bianca |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Northeastern United States | Rome, Italy |
| Sauce | No tomato sauce | No tomato sauce |
| Base | Pizza dough with olive oil and garlic | Plain yeast flatbread |
| Cheese | Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan or similar cheeses | Optional, for example Parmesan as a filling |
| Texture | Crisp crust under soft cheese | Light and focaccia-like |
Pick the American-style recipe if you want cheese and garlic on the crust. Pick pizza bianca if you want a simple olive oil flatbread that you can split and fill. If you would rather have a tomato-based classic, the margherita pizza recipe is the usual starting point.
Serving and Storing Your White Pizza
Serve white pizza hot from the oven, and plan on 3 to 4 servings from one white pizza recipe.
Let the pizza rest on the board for a minute so the cheese sets slightly, then cut it with a sharp knife or pizza wheel.
For leftovers, cool the slices briefly, then refrigerate them in a sealed container. Reheating them in a hot oven rather than a microwave usually keeps more crispness in the crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is white pizza the same as pizza bianca?
No. White pizza is an American-style pie with cheese and no tomato sauce, while pizza bianca is a plain Roman flatbread that resembles focaccia. The two share a name in Italy, but the recipes differ.
Can I make white pizza without ricotta?
Yes. Roman-style pizza bianca is a plain yeast flatbread, so it does not need ricotta at all. The recipe above uses ricotta for its creamy layer.
How long does a white pizza take in total?
Plan on about 1 hour of dough rest for store-bought dough. The bake itself is short: 5 minutes to par-bake the crust, then 10 minutes once it is topped. A white pizza recipe with store-bought dough therefore fits comfortably into an evening.
Which cheese works best on white pizza?
The Love and Lemons recipe uses fresh mozzarella, torn by hand, and freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino. Whole milk ricotta forms the creamy base layer under them.
Can I make white pizza in a home oven?
Yes. This white pizza recipe is written for a home oven set to 500°F, or as high as the oven goes. Preheat it thoroughly before the crust goes in.
If you want a simple dinner, this white pizza recipe works well. Start with the garlic oil and store-bought dough, then add the ricotta and cheese once the crust has par-baked. Check the cheese at the 10-minute mark and pull the pizza once the edges brown. Adjust the seasoning next time rather than changing the oven setting.