Description

This Epic Roasted Garlic Pizza features a rich roasted garlic white sauce made from roasted garlic cloves pureed into a creamy parmesan béchamel, topped with a blend of provolone and fresh mozzarella cheeses, additional roasted garlic cloves, and optional proteins like bacon or chicken. The pizza is baked on a pizza stone to achieve a perfectly crispy crust and finished with fresh herbs and drizzles of hot honey or balsamic glaze for a sweet and savory finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Garlic

3 heads garlic
1–2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

White Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 heads roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out and smashed into a paste
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Pizza

1 ball pizza dough (16 oz)
Semolina flour, for sprinkling on pizza peel
8 oz provolone cheese, freshly grated
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out (for topping)
Protein of choice (optional): shredded chicken, bacon, Italian sausage, etc.

For Serving

Fresh thyme leaves
Fresh basil leaves
Hot honey
Balsamic glaze
Red pepper flakes

Instructions

Roast Garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off the garlic heads to expose most or all of the cloves. Drizzle each head with olive oil, rotating to evenly coat the cloves. Season with salt and pepper, then wrap each head tightly in aluminum foil. Place directly on the oven rack and roast for 50-60 minutes until the garlic cloves are deeply golden and soft. Remove and allow to cool.
Prepare Garlic Paste: Carefully squeeze the cloves out of two heads of the roasted garlic and mash them into a smooth paste. For the third head, remove the cloves mostly intact to use as pizza toppings.
Make White Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once hot and sizzling, stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for one minute to remove the raw flour taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gradually whisk in the milk continuously to avoid lumps. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in the roasted garlic paste, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Prepare Oven and Pizza Stone: Increase oven temperature to 450°F and place a pizza stone on the center rack to preheat.
Shape Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch the pizza dough into a round shape approximately 12 inches in diameter.
Assemble Pizza: Lightly dust a pizza peel with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Place the dough near the edge of the peel for easy transfer. Spread an even layer of the garlic white sauce over the dough using a spoon or offset spatula. If using, scatter your choice of cooked protein evenly over the sauce. Sprinkle the provolone cheese, and tear fresh mozzarella pieces to distribute over the top. Nestle the intact roasted garlic cloves across the pizza.
Bake: Slide the pizza from the peel onto the preheated pizza stone in the oven using a swift motion. Bake for 14-15 minutes until the crust is a crispy golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Finish and Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven. Garnish with fresh thyme and basil leaves, and drizzle with hot honey and/or balsamic glaze. Sprinkle red pepper flakes if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

Roasting garlic deeply caramelizes it, enhancing its sweetness and mellowing the sharpness.
The garlic white sauce is essentially a garlic-parmesan béchamel that adds a rich creamy base for the pizza.
Semolina flour on the peel helps prevent sticking and aids in easy pizza transfer.
Optional proteins like bacon, chicken, or Italian sausage complement the garlic flavor beautifully.
Drizzling hot honey or balsamic glaze provides a contrasting sweet note that balances the savory pizza.
If you don’t have a pizza stone, use a baking sheet, but the crust may not be as crispy.
Be careful while roasting garlic to avoid burning; cloves should be golden and soft, not blackened.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: roasted garlic pizza, garlic white sauce pizza, homemade pizza, pizza with roasted garlic, cheesy garlic pizza