Squash Blossom Pizza Recipe

Preheat and prepare dough

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet inside for at least 30 minutes. Lightly dust a work surface with the 2 tbs flour, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim. Transfer the stretched dough to a piece of parchment paper for easy transfer to the oven. Brush the outer rim lightly with 1 tbs olive oil and set aside.

Make the roux

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs unsalted butter. Add 2 tbs flour and whisk constantly for 1 to 1½ minutes until the mixture is bubbly and just beginning to turn a light blonde (do not brown).

Finish béchamel

Slowly whisk in 1 cup whole milk in a steady stream to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tbs grated Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (optional). Taste and adjust seasoning. The béchamel should be thick but spreadable — if too thick, whisk in up to 1–2 tbs more milk.

Cool slightly

Let the béchamel cool for 5 minutes so it spreads easily on the dough without soaking it.

Prepare squash blossoms and zucchini

Gently open each squash blossom and remove any stamens (pinch out the center). Tear large blossoms in half if very big. If using zucchini, thinly slice into rounds (2–3 mm). In a small bowl, toss blossoms and zucchini slices with the thinly sliced garlic, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (if using). This draws out excess moisture and seasons them lightly.

Assemble pizza

Using a spatula, spread an even, thin layer of the warm Parmesan béchamel over the stretched dough, leaving the oiled rim untouched. Arrange the zucchini slices (if using) in a single layer over the béchamel. Distribute the seasoned squash blossoms across the pizza, tucking some petals slightly under others so they don't burn. Tear the burrata into 4–6 pieces and scatter them sparingly across the pizza — leave some space so cheese melts into pockets rather than covering the whole pie.

Bake

Transfer the parchment with the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 7–10 minutes, or until the crust is blistered and golden and the edges of some squash blossoms show gentle browning (watch carefully—blossoms cook quickly). If your oven supports a broil finish, broil for 30–60 seconds to blister the top, watching closely to avoid burning.

Finish & serve

Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Immediately scatter the baby basil leaves over the hot pizza, drizzle with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, and add a few more grinds of black pepper and a light pinch of fine sea salt to taste. Let the pizza rest 1–2 minutes, then slice into 6 slices and serve warm so the burrata is creamy and the blossoms are tender.