Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Pesto Pizza
Bored of the standard pepperoni pizza? Loaded with herby pesto, creamy avocado and delicate smoked salmon on a perfectly crisp crust, this unique pizza will get you out of your rut. With just one bite, this smoked salmon, avocado and pesto pizza will be your new go-to favorite when you need a fresh take on classic comfort food.
Servings 1 10-inch pizza
Calories 790kcal
Equipment
- Pizza stone
- Pizza peel or large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- ½ pound pizza dough homemade or store-bought (see note)
- Cornmeal for dusting
- ¼ cup pesto homemade or store-bought
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella freshly grated (see note)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup smoked salmon cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ avocado sliced
- 1 lemon slice
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- If using dough stored in the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured surface, gently press into a 5-inch flat circle and cover with plastic wrap about two to three hours before you plan to bake the pizza. However, if you made your dough right away and it's already risen and come to room temperature, you're ready to skip straight to step 2.
- About 45 minutes to an hour before baking, place a pizza stone in the cold oven and turn the heat to 500 degrees. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a large baking sheet and preheat for 30 minutes, though a pizza stone is recommended for best results.
- Hand stretch the dough using the bed of your fingers rather than your finger tips to pat the dough outward toward the edge. Don’t pat in the center of the dough, or you’ll get limp pizza. Really focus on staying outside of the center and work toward the edge. After you work the dough, grab the edge of the pizza and lift it in the air. Allow it to quickly hang down and keep rotating the pizza crust through your fingers to allow the rest of the pizza to have a chance to hang like you're turning the steering wheel of a car. Do not use a rolling pin to shape and flatten. The dough is stretched when it’s 10 inches in diameter. If any holes form, pinch the dough back together.
- Coat a pizza peel or the back of a parchment paper-covered baking sheet with cornmeal and place the hand-stretched dough on top. Adjust the shape if necessary.
- Spread ¼ cup of pesto on the dough, leaving an edge for the crust. Top with mozzarella. Whisk together the egg yolk and water and brush on the crust. Transfer to the hot pizza stone.
- If using parchment paper on a baking sheet to transfer the pizza, bring the baking sheet to the edge of the pizza stone, grab the edge of the parchment paper and slide the pizza from the baking sheet to the pizza stone. Bake for two minutes, remove the parchment paper and then continue to bake for six to eight minutes. If using a pizza peel with no parchment paper to transfer the pizza directly to the stone, bake for eight to 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Because pesto is oil-based, oil will rise to the top. Take a paper towel and gently place on top to soak up oil. Top with smoked salmon and avocado slices. Let the pizza set for about five minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice, cut into slices and top with fresh parley if desired. Enjoy!
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="3HkTbE2E" upload-date="2021-02-11T00:00:00.000Z" name="Beer Pizza Dough" description="Make your at-home pizza nights extra special and delicious with this beer pizza dough! The end result is one flavorful, thin, crispy pizza crust that everyone is sure to love." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
- A 10-inch pizza is a good-size meal for two people, or it works well as an appetizer for four people. If you want to make a larger pizza, you can use more dough and toppings, but make sure it isn't larger than your pizza stone or baking sheet.
- While I highly recommend my make-ahead beer pizza dough, most grocery stores sell fresh pizza dough in the section where you can find freshly prepared soups, salads and meals. If you can’t find it, ask someone at the deli counter.
- The amount of cheese you use depends on how cheesy you like your pizza. I’m a cheesy pizza kind of lady, so I use 1 ¼ cups. For the mozzarella, I definitely recommend grating it yourself rather than the bagged shredded cheese, which doesn't melt as well, and using the kind of mozzarella that isn't stored in water, which can soak the crust.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5pizza | Calories: 790kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 913mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g