Garlic Pizza with Mozzarella, Arugula, and Balsamic Drizzle

flat bread pizza with garlic and caramelized onions.

5 from 2 votes

Garlic Pizza with Mozzarella, Arugula, and Balsamic Drizzle

Garlic infused olive oil makes the perfect base for this garlic pizza. Add fresh mozzarella and then top with arugula and a balsamic drizzle.

Prep Time25

Cook Time4

Total Time29

Course: Entree, Pizza

Cuisine: American, Pizza

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 12-inch pizza

Author: Mary Cressler

Cost: $10

Ingredients

1 pizza dough
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
⅓ cup fresh mozzarella, chunked (1/2 large mozzarella ball)
½ cup fresh arugula
¼ cup caramelized red onions
2 tablespoons sliced pickled peppers (We love Mama Lil's brand)
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon finishing salt

For the Caramelized Onions

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Prepare your pizza oven targeting the pizza stone at 500 – 550 degrees. For a traditional kitchen oven this means placing the pizza stone in the oven and turning it on to 550 degrees. Let is warm for 45 minutes.
Prepare Garlic Oil: In a small bowl add the olive oil and then shave the garlic clove using a micro-plane grater. Set aside until ready to use.
Caramelize Onions: While the oven is warming up caramelize the onions. In a sauté pan over medium heat add butter. Next add the sliced onions and stir occasionally until the onions soften and then turn brown. Adjust the heat down if they start to crisp up or burn. This can take up to 25 minutes.
Prepare Pizza: Roll out your pizza dough into a 11 to 13-inch round on a floured pizza peel. Brush the oil onto the pizza and then top with small clumps of the fresh mozzarella cheese. Holding the pizza peel be sure the pizza can slide, if it doesn’t lift the edges of the dough and add more flour.
Cook Pizza: Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and cook for 4 minutes or until the dough rises. Then rotate the pizza 180 degrees and continue cooking until the cheese melts and the dough is cooked through on the edges and bottom. Remove the pizza.
Top with Remaining Toppings: Add the fresh arugula, caramelized onions, pickled peppers, and then drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of finishing salt and then slice and serve.

Notes

Garlic Pizza Modification for a Home Oven:

Total time in a traditional oven 8-10 minutes.

Place a large pizza stone on the middle rack and set the oven at 550 degrees. Let preheat and warm for at least 20 minutes to get the stone up to temperature. Place the pizza on the center of the stone and bake for 5 minutes. Then using a pizza turning peel, rotate the pizza 180 degrees (most ovens the back is hotter). Bake for another 5 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.

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