It's not delivery: White pizza from scratch

So this weekend it pretty much rained non-stop here in Tampa Bay. That meant plenty of time to stay indoors and play in the kitchen.

I made my favorite pizza -- white pizza. Dough from scratch, basil pesto, mozzarella, and nice dollops of ricotta cheese.

There's a story behind this. I actually made a version of this for my fiancé Lucas when we first started dating. He was nervous and accidentally dropped a few slices in the dog bowl. Let's just say this tasting went a lot smoother.

Here's the recipe:

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 2 cups flour (I used bread flour for more crispiness, can use AP, too)
• 1/4 oz. pizza yeast (or one single-serve packet)
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup warm water (possibly, a splash or 2 more -- see dough instructions below)
• 3 tbs. olive oil

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, & salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Add warm water, then oil.
3. Stir the mixture until it comes together in a ball. I had to add a couple extra splashes of water to get the dough to come together the way I wanted. 
4. On a floured surface, knead the dough for a few minutes -- until elastic, but not tough.
5. Set aside for at least an hour to rise.

FOR THE PESTO SAUCE:

• 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 cups basil
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt, to taste

1. Toast pine nuts in pan, a few minutes or until slightly browned.
2. Chop basil.
3. Peel and roughly chop garlic.
4. Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend.
5. Drizzle in more olive oil as needed, and blend again, if original mixture is too thick to blend.
6. Add salt to taste.

FOR THE TOPPINGS:

• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Ricotta cheese

1. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to your desired size and thickness.
2. Place on a pizza stone or baking sheet.
3. Spread the pesto onto the dough. I left a little border of untouched dough for the crust. I also reserved a little pesto for the end.
4. Sprinkle with mozzarella until the pesto is completely covered.
5. Sprinkle Parmesan, as much or little as you like.
6. Dollop little spoonfuls of Ricotta cheese around the pizza, as much or little as you like.
7. Dollop remaining pesto over the top.
8. I rolled the edges over to make a more pronounced crust (see video), you don't have to.
9. Bake in an oven at 425° F, approx. 15 mins, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly and slightly browned!

Cheesy, garlicky goodness! Yes, we sneaked a few slices.

 
SIDE NOTE: I shared this recipe & video with some of the TV viewers and got some great suggestions.

A local baker suggested when making the dough, try putting the yeast & warm water in the bottom of the bowl, and letting it sit for about 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the dough ingredients. That's supposed to make the yeast happier.

Another viewer said she's does a similar recipe, but uses Feta cheese, too. That sounds awesome to me!