Bruschetta Pizza

Crunchy pizza base with garlic butter and melting cheese, topped with marinated ripe tomatoes for the perfect summer appetizer recipe that is delicious and brings together two classic recipes of bruschetta and pizza.

My favourite food is pizza. Anytime, anywhere. This pizza is a little different though. It is the marriage of garlic bread and bruschetta and pizza. I took my homemade pizza dough recipe and turned it into a simple garlic bread (using my garlic bread butter spread recipe), topped it with freshly sliced tomatoes that are seasoned and serve it warm. A comforting summer appetizer that is so delicious and fresh. You can prepare the dough ahead, same goes with the garlic butter as well.

You could use store bought pizza base, your favorite garlic butter or brush the dough with butter and minced garlic to keep it even more fuss free. Having said this, if there is one thing you cannot skimp on – it must be the tomatoes, they should be ripe and the best you can find since we are not heating or cooking them in anyway they must be delicious to eat raw. If you don’t like them raw, then don’t use it on the pizza. So let us get to it.

What are the ingredients in bruschetta? Where is bruschetta from?

A classic Italian bruschetta is made with ripe tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, pepper, salt. Some recipes (not the traditional ones) use sugar or honey to balance out the sourness of the tomatoes but I used the best tomatoes I could find, from Spinneys. They are so sweet and perfectly ripe in every bite! Not to mention bright red in color.

What is the secret to good bruschetta?

Marinating the tomatoes is always a good idea as this helps release its natural juices which make it taste even better, however this can make the bruschetta soggy and in this case I recommend not marinating the tomatoes as they will release more juice making the pizza soft.

What is bruschetta pizza?

Bruschetta pizza is basically a pizza that is topped with perfectly ripe tomatoes that are seasoned with olive oil, salt, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and dry basil. The pizza is essentially garlic bread but in pizza form.

What ingredients are needed to make bruschetta pizza?

To make the dough we need flour, water, yeast, honey, olive oil. For the garlic butter we need garlic, butter, yogurt, fresh parsley, pepper, parmesan cheese, dried oregano. For the pizza we need semolina, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, olive oil, dried basil, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper.

What equipment do you need to make bruschetta pizza?

To shape the pizza dough we need baking paper as this makes it easy to transfer the pizza, I have used a pizza peel/wooden tray to transfer the pizza to the oven but you can use any flat tray. The pizza must be baked on a preheated pizza stone or a baking tray that is flipped upside down in the oven for a flat surface. The pizza is cut using a pizza cutter, you can use any scrap knife to cut the pizza. The tomatoes need to be sliced with a sharp knife I have used a serrated knife.

How to make bruschetta pizza?

For the method for the homemade pizza dough. Once you have portioned the dough, shaped it into balls and let them proof. Prepare the garlic butter spread. When ready to use remove from the fridge and let it rise/come to room temperature for 20 mins before shaping, topping and baking. At this stage we can preheat the oven to the highest setting it has. After 20 mins, get a piece of baking paper (it should be approximately 10 inches in diameter.), sprinkle over semolina, this is essential or else the pizza will stick to the baking paper or the baking surface making a mess before it can even go into the oven to bake. Place one of the pizza dough balls on the baking paper, drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and using your fingers, start stretching the dough out. Keep poking through the dough, maintaining a 1 inch edge around the dough. We are looking to create an 8/9 inch round. If the dough rips, pinch it back together, it is very forgiving. Brush the garlic butter on the over the entire pizza dough generously, including the edge. Around 2-3 tbsp per pizza.

Top with mozzarella. Using a baking tray/pizza tray transfer the pizza to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden, the cheese is bubbling and the bottom is crusty. Remove from the oven and place the sliced tomatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried basil, salt and pepper. Cut into pieces and serve while still hot.

Make ahead options:

The pizza dough can be made the night before, same as the garlic butter and they can be stored in the fridge overnight. The next morning allow the dough to come to room temperature before punching down, portioning and forming into a ball. Let it proof and follow the steps are mentioned in the recipe. The dough can also be shaped into balls and allowed to proof for the second time in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days. Make sure it is covered with cling wrap to avoid a skin forming. You can let the dough balls come to room temperature before shaping and brushing with garlic butter.

Serving this bruschetta pizza:

The best wya to serve this bruschetta pizza is warm with a little extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top. You could serve it with a side salad or grilled chicken as well. This is perfect to bake as an appetizer for a crowd. You could do rectangle shaped pizza and cut into squares or pieces that are smaller for serving as a canapé / finger food.

Best way to reheat your pizza?

You can use a microwave to heat your pizza but I would recommend using a pan. Place a couple of cold pizza slices in a pan and place it on low heat, cover with a lid and heat it for 2 minutes. Add a few drops of water in the pan and cover again creating a little steam. This will help the cheese melt and the keep the bottom crispy. This process should take 5 minutes totally on a low flame.

Looking for more pizza recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this bruschetta pizza recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.