Pizza

Pizza a Colazione – Breakfast Pizza

Feb 3, 2018 by Gabriele Corcos

DIFFICULTY

I miss the Los Angeles weekends!

Friends were coming over for lunch, so we wanted to get the wood-fired pizza oven started early. But at a certain point early that day, when we were still in our bathrobes, I had this idea. The oven was hot, we were hungry, we had fresh eggs from our chickens, and the pizza dough was already made. So the thought of a breakfast pizza materialized.

The concept is simple and inspired: eggs and bacon—in this case, pancetta—but on a tomato-and-cheese pizza. It was so delicious.

It’s so much fun to crack that egg over the pizza and let the heat of the oven cook it. And it works just as well in a kitchen oven. So the next time that special weekend rolls around, skip the same-old breakfast, and try this variation. I’m salivating just thinking about it again!

1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes (pelati)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound pancetta, diced medium

Pizza Dough, formed into 4 (13-inch) discs, at room temperature

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 large eggs

Handful fresh basil leaves

1Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F for 1 hour before baking. (Or preheat a wood-fired pizza oven to very hot, 4 hours before baking.)

2In a food processor, puree the tomatoes until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

3In a skillet, heat the olive oil and pancetta over medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until crisp.

4Using a spoon, spread one-fourth of the tomato sauce on 1 disc of dough, leaving a 1-inch all around. Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella on top.

5Gently place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden with slight signs of charring. (If using a wood-fired oven, gently place the pizza on the oven floor, and bake for 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp.)

6Remove the pizza from the oven and break an egg over the center of the pizza. Top with one-fourth of the cooked pancetta, return the pizza to the oven, and bake another 3 to 4 minutes (1 to 2 minutes if using a wood-fired oven), until the egg is cooked.

7Remove the pizza from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and top with one-fourth of the basil. Serve immediately.

8Repeat with the remaining 3 pizza discs.