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Bruschetta Pizza is everything you love about bruschetta loaded onto a cheesy homemade pizza crust with pesto sauce, fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and a healthy drizzle of balsamic glaze. Add a side salad and Friday night just got a lot better!
What is Bruschetta Anyway?
Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer or antipasto with grilled or toasted bread (traditionally crusty Italian bread or baguette), seasoned with olive oil, garlic and salt. The toasted bread is then topped with a mixture of fresh tomatoes, basil, parmesan cheese and garlic. You can view my favorite bruschetta recipe HERE. This is a great way to use up those garden tomatoes that all seem to ripen at the same time, or for those beautiful farmers market juicy tomatoes you just HAD to have.
My Homemade Pizza Dough
If you’ve been around here for awhile you know that I have pizza regularly…Pizza Fridays! Sometimes we order out, but a good chunk of our pizza is homemade. I have a BOMB pizza dough recipe that I have perfected over the years and makes enough for two 12″ pizzas. My recipe walks you through exactly how to make pizza dough, even if you have never made dough from scratch before. It’s an easy recipe that can be used for pizza, flatbread pizza, calzones and stromboli! If you can spare the extra time, make the homemade crust for your pizzas, you won’t regret it!
How to Make Bruschetta Pizza
For full recipe details, including ingredients and measurements needed, see the printable recipe card down below. Here are some step by step directions of what you can expect when making this pizza:
Make the Pizza Dough
First, you’re going to make the pizza crust. You can make your own fresh pizza dough using The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Ever or find pre-made store-bought pizza dough or pizza crusts at the grocery store. Just make sure you have enough for 2 pizzas.
Make the Bruschetta Mixture
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and set the tomato mixture aside.
Prep and Assemble the Pizza (ingredients to be divided evenly between 2 pizzas)
Preheat oven to 425° F. Place pizza stones in oven (if using).
Roll dough out to (2) 12″ round pizzas. If using a pizza stone, sprinkle with cornmeal (to prevent sticking) and place dough onto hot stone.
Spread a thin layer of basil pesto sauce onto dough, leaving about a half inch around the edges for the crust.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pesto sauce. Next, add sliced red onion evenly on top of the pesto sauce. (I left the red onions off one of my pizzas since some in my family don’t like onions.)
For the last layer, add the bruschetta topping and spread evenly.
Bake the Pizza
Bake for about 15-20 minutes (this can vary greatly by oven so check the crust for doneness). Remove pizzas from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Drizzle Balsamic Glaze + Basil
Give your finished pizza a drizzle of the balsamic vinegar glaze and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
Optional Toppings
While I like to keep my toppings to a minimum, here are a few more optional pizza toppings you can add to jazz up this classic Bruschetta Pizza recipe:
- Green Onions
- Fresh Arugula
- Creamy Burrata Cheese
- Feta Cheese
- Any other fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, oregano, thyme, mint, etc.)
- Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Sausage
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Garlic Powder
- Sea Salt Flakes for a nice salty kick
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Storing Leftover Bruschetta Pizza
Store cooled to room temperature pizza in an airtight resealable bag or container with tight fitting lid. Pizza should be stored in the fridge, and will be good for 3-4 days. Bruschetta Pizza is good eaten cold, or reheated. I don’t recommend freezing this pizza.
FAQ + Baking Tips For Bruschetta Pizza
I used garden fresh cherry tomatoes and halved them. If tomatoes are in season, you want to use ones that are ripe, juicy and flavorful! Heirlooms and Romas are good options as well.
Chiffonade is referring to a cutting method for the basil leaves. You want to remove the stems and then stack the basil leaves, biggest on the bottom to smallest on top. Then roll them up in a tight roll. You will then thinly slice the basil leaves. Once all cut, separate the ribbons of basil, creating a “shredded” look.
If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use an upside down baking sheet. You may want to oil or butter the sheet first to prevent dough from sticking. You can also use a regular metal pizza pan, with or without holes. I would suggest laying parchment paper down and spraying non-stick spray or oil to prevent sticking and dough coming out through the holes.
While this pizza is best immediately after baking, you can make the bruschetta mixture a few hours ahead of time.
I don’t recommend freezing this pizza. The fresh ingredients are never the same texture after being frozen, and the crust changes as well.
Absolutely! Fresh Mozzarella on this Bruschetta Pizza would be amazing. Either slice a large log into thin slices or use the pearls. Just be sure to drain well and pat dry to avoid excess liquid on your dough.
More Tomato Recipes to Try!
I hope you love this Bruschetta Pizza recipe and add it to your next pizza night! The printable recipe card is down below. Have a great day, friends!
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star review! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Bruschetta Pizza
Ingredients
for the bruschetta mix
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or grape, sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 large basil leaves chiffonade
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
for the pizza
- 16 oz pizza dough homemade (makes 2 12" pizzas) or store bought
- 1 tbsp cornmeal optional (for pizza stone)
- 1/2 cup basil pesto homemade or store bought
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced half moons
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze or more, to taste
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
for the bruschetta mix
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
for the pizza (ingredients divided evenly between 2 pizzas)
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Place pizza stones in oven (if using).
- Roll dough out to (2) 12" round pizzas. If using a pizza stone*, sprinkle with cornmeal (to prevent sticking) and place dough onto hot stone.
- Spread a thin layer of pesto sauce onto dough, leaving about a half inch around the edges for the crust.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pesto sauce.
- Add sliced red onion evenly on top of the pesto sauce.
- For the last layer, add the bruschetta mix and spread evenly.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes (this can vary greatly by oven so check the crust for doneness).
- Remove pizzas from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
