Pesto Pizza

We love pizza. I might actually like it more than Larry does. But lately, we have been very disappointed with the pizzas we have been getting from our local pizza places. I’ve made pizza myself plenty of times, and we always like it better. But since we have been so disappointed so many times with our local pizza places, I have decided to make my own from here on out. Homemade is always better anyway. 🙂

I have played around with many different versions of pizza dough. Last night I tried a new, easier dough that I think may be the new winner.

The Dough

Pizza is one of those dishes that is a purely subjective dish. You can add whatever toppings you like and make it your own. This time I added pesto sauce, chicken, bacon and mushrooms.

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4-4 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 TBSP olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Place 4 cups of the flour and all the other dry ingredients into the food processor, process on a low speed, then slowly add the olive oil and water. Process for about 30-40 seconds, then stop and rest for 2 minutes. Process again for an additional 30 seconds or until the dough forms into a ball. The dough ball will be sticky. Turn the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface with the remaining flour and knead it together until it is soft and pliable. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, add the dough ball and cover. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, cut and cook the bacon. Cook the bacon to almost crisp, since it will crisp up in the oven while baking. Add the mushrooms to the bacon, and cook in the bacon grease. My chicken was already cooked, since I was using my Costco rotisserie chicken. But if you are using raw chicken, definitely cook it completely before using it.

Preheat the oven to 500* F or 260*C.

Stretch out the dough to fill a large pizza round or pizza stone. Crimp the edges and make a decorative crust.

Add the sauce and completely cover the surface of the dough. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese (or your preference of cheese).

Add your toppings, then drizzle a bit more sauce on top, and cover with more cheese.

Bake for about 10-20 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese on top is completely melted. A helpful little tip, especially if you like a crispier crust, is to spray the oven with water 3x within the first 10 minutes of baking to produce steam and allow for a better crust.

When the pizza is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and let it set for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy !Mangia!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.