Cauliflower and Bacon Pizza

Headnote

This pizza is built on contrast: a crisp, well-fermented wheat crust, a bright tomato base, and the quiet sweetness of cauliflower set against the salt and smoke of bacon. The mozzarella must melt cleanly, not drown the surface, while oregano and garlic give the dish its essential line. It should emerge balanced, aromatic, and disciplined, with a crust that holds its structure to the last slice.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Pizza
Cuisine or origin: Italian-inspired
Course type: Main course
Yield: 1 pizza
Serving size: 1 pizza, about 520 g
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Digital scale
Bench scraper
Rolling pin
Small saucepan
Frying pan
Baking tray or pizza stone
Oven
Parchment paper

Ingredients

Dough

Wheat flour, 220 g

Yeast, 4 g

Sugar, 5 g

Salt, 4 g

Olive oil, 10 g

Water, 120 g

Topping

Cauliflower, 90 g, cut into small florets

Bacon, 70 g, cut into thin strips

Onion, 35 g, finely sliced

Garlic, 5 g, finely sliced

Tomato sauce, 70 g

Mozzarella cheese, 95 g, torn into even pieces

Olive oil, 10 g

Black pepper, 1 g

Oregano, 1 g

Red pepper flake, 0.5 g

Salt, 1 g

Method

1. Combine the wheat flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and water, then mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and only lightly tacky.

2. Cover the dough and leave it to rise at room temperature for 60 to 75 minutes, until doubled in volume and supple to the touch.

3. While the dough rises, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the fat renders and the edges begin to crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, just until fragrant and softened. Add the cauliflower, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flake, and salt, then cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the cauliflower is lightly tender but still firm. Remove from the heat.

4. Heat the oven to 250°C. If using a baking tray, place it in the oven to preheat. The baking surface must be fully hot before the pizza is assembled.

5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a round of about 28 cm. Keep the center slightly thinner than the rim. Transfer to parchment paper.

6. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border. Scatter the mozzarella over the sauce, then distribute the cauliflower, bacon, onion, and garlic mixture evenly across the surface.

7. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden at the edges, the base is crisp, and the mozzarella is fully melted with light browning in places.

8. Rest the pizza for 2 minutes before slicing. The crust should remain crisp, the topping set, and the bacon visible rather than buried.

Plating and serving

Transfer the pizza to a board and cut into even slices. Serve immediately while the crust is crisp and the cheese is supple, with the cauliflower and bacon distributed evenly in each portion.

Professional notes

Pre-cooking the cauliflower is essential; it must be tender before baking, or it will remain harsh on the finished pizza. Keep the tomato sauce thin and restrained so the crust bakes cleanly. The pizza is at its best when the cheese melts into the topping without forming a heavy layer.