BLT Pesto Pizza #FantasticalFoodFight

 BLT Pesto Pizza brings a classic to a whole new level!

It’s Fantastical Food Fight time!  Each month Sarah at a Fantastical Sharing of Recipes hosts FFF!  Participants whip up something within the monthly theme.  This month’s theme was BLT!

At first, I made a BLT breakfast sandwich.  I took an English muffin and an egg and added all the BLT goodness!  It was delicious, but unwieldy.  I just wasn’t thrilled with it.

Then I decided to BLT my pizza.  But not just any pizza.  The kids had requested pesto pizza and it was just meant to be!

The spiciness of the pesto took the classic Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato to a whole new level!  I mean, I love me a classic BLT, but it’s almost like pesto was what it was missing all along!  Yum!

BLT Pesto Pizza

Dough

4 cups flour, divided

4 ½ tsp instant/quick rise/pizza yeast (2 envelopes)

2 tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

1 1/3 cup warm water (120 degrees F)

6 tbsp olive oil

Toppings

½ cup basil pesto

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella

2 tomatoes, diced (seeds removed)

½ lb bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

Romaine lettuce, shredded

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a baking stone (if using) in the oven to heat up.

Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the water and oil and mix on low until combined.

Slowly add in the remaining flour until the dough forms a ball.  Switch to the dough hook, continuing to mix on low, for 4 minutes.  Keep adding flour, bit by bit until the dough is no longer stick (lightly tacky is ok).

Alternately, mix the ingredients in a large bowl with a spoon.  Then turn out onto a countertop and slowly knead the remaining flour into the dough, kneading for an addition 6 minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal.  Roll the dough thin.

Top with a generous helping of pesto and cheese.  Sprinkle the tomatoes over the top.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cheese is melty.  Add the bacon and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the oven, slice, and top with shredded lettuce.

Makes 2 medium pizzas

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