I’ve stood in line for an hour to eat at the famed Lombardi’s in Brooklyn, one of the first documented pizzerias in the United States. I’ve eaten the famous deep-dish pies from Chicago on a cold rainy day. One of the best pizzas I ever had was a simple margherita from a laundry-adjacent restaurant in Nice, France; the cheese alone made it a permanent food memory for me. The alpaca wood-fired pizza I ate in the ancient city of Cusco, Peru, is forever married in my mind to the place where I ate it. The charred crust at Farina in downtown Albuquerque, the foldable crust at John’s in Manhattan, the caramelized crust of Giordano’s in Chicago, pizza bianca at Diavola in Geyserville—all are worth the trip, the wait, the hype.
Alas, no pizza I make at home will likely measure up to those moments, but I still find it one of my favorite things to cook. I don’t own a fancy Ooni outdoor oven or Traeger attachments. I am armed only with my gas range at 550°F, a plethora of dough recipes, a baking stone, and a gazillion attempts (failed and successful) to master the infamous flatbread.
In this edition of Cooking Fresh, I’m not going to go down the rabbit hole of the history of pizza or go totally scientific like Kenji López-Alt. I’ll share some tips, but my goal is to make pizza for all—carnivores, vegans, those who are lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant. I want to feed everyone around the table one of my favorite foods. Hopefully, these recipes provide some inspiration beyond the usual and entice you to see new possibilities while the seasons change and fresh ingredients become available at the market.
All the pizzas were tested in the edible kitchen using these dough recipes with and without gluten. You could also buy dough at the supermarket or your local pizzeria (Dion’s, Il Vicino, and Back Road Pizza are among those who sell their house dough) and use it to make any of the recipes shared below.
Apple Pecan Pizza with Bacon
This Apple Pecan Pizza with Bacon balances sweet and savory with salty meat, apples, and fresh thyme.
Carne Con Chile Rojo Pizza
This Carne con Chile Rojo Pizza is a meat lover’s delight, done New Mexico style with red chile sauce in place of marina.
White Pizza with Mushrooms
Infused olive oil is the star of this White Pizza with mushrooms—paired with fresh ricotta, it will persuade you of the merits of skipping the usual marina.
High-Hydration Pizza Dough
High-hydration pizza doughs are the key to success in making pizza at home.
Kale Pesto Pizza
Loaded with veggies and protein-packed garbanzo beans, this Kale Pesto Pizza is a healthy alternative to the usual cheese-laden options.
Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
When cooked, the gluten-free crust will have the consistency of a thin-crust pizza.
Cabbage Carbonara Pizza
This edition of Last Bite, brought to you by Rio Grande Credit Union, features a gluten-free Cabbage Carbonara Pizza.
Stone Fruit Pizza
This recipe inspires some creativity with sweet and savory ingredients, highlighting stone fruit as the meal’s star.
Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and earned a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. She is the art director, head photographer, recipe tester, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible New Mexico and The Bite.
