Mortadella Pizza Recipe

Activate yeast and mix

Combine warm water (about 100–110°F / 38–43°C), sugar and instant yeast in a small bowl. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Make a well, add the foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is very sticky, add up to 2 tablespoons more flour; if too dry, wet hands and continue kneading.

Form dough into a ball, coat lightly with a bit of olive oil, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1¼ hours.

After first rise, gently deflate dough and divide into two portions for two 10–11-inch pizzas (or keep whole for a larger pizza). Let rest 15 minutes before shaping.

Make cream of pistachio

Toast pistachios briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Let cool slightly. Place pistachios in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Add heavy cream, ricotta, grated Parmigiano, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper to the processor with the ground pistachios. Process until a smooth, spreadable paste forms. If too thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons water or more cream to reach a spreadable consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer cream of pistachio to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to assemble. This can be made a day ahead and kept chilled.

Prep toppings

Slice or tear mortadella into bite-size pieces if slices are large. Bring stracciatella to cool room temperature and gently stir to combine the cream and shreds. Have basil leaves washed and dried.

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating. If using a baking sheet, preheat oven and place the sheet inside or leave the sheet at room temp and preheat to 475–500°F.

On a lightly floured surface, shape one portion of rested dough into a 10–11-inch round. Use your fingers to stretch and form a rim; do not deflate edges too much. Sprinkle a pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet with semolina or cornmeal.

Brush the dough surface lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sogginess. Spread 3–4 tablespoons of the cream of pistachio in an even, thin layer across the dough, leaving the rim untouched. The pistachio cream should act as the 'sauce'.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 7–10 minutes (depending on oven and thickness) until crust is golden and edges are blistered.

Remove pizza from oven. Immediately distribute half the stracciatella over the hot pizza so it melts slightly and creates a creamy top. Arrange half the mortadella slices (or the torn pieces) evenly over the pizza. Drizzle with a little finishing extra-virgin olive oil and add a few basil leaves if using. Season lightly with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

Repeat shaping and baking for the second dough portion, using remaining pistachio cream, stracciatella and mortadella.

Slice and serve hot or warm. The contrast of warm pizza, cool stracciatella and savory mortadella is best eaten soon after assembly.