Pizza for Breakfast

Ronda L. Halpin

For some, mornings in college consisted of cold pizza and pretty bad coffee. And while many great memories were created during those years, that kind of breakfast probably is not among them. However, the concept of pizza for breakfast is a nice one, especially if you take it up a notch or ten:

I present to you a breakfast pizza befitting the fanciest of brunches. At home alongside eggs benedict or fancy fruit muffins, this pizza takes a selection of great ingredients and blends them to give you a morning pizza you will not soon forget. Combine bacon and eggs with pesto and goat cheese? Now there's some bliss. I even had some beautiful fresh watercress to toss on it just as it came out of the oven. Breakfast pizzas might become a more common happening in my home. After all, my daughter pointed out that we have breakfast for dinner, we ought to have dinner for breakfast now and then, too!

Like many recipes, how you decide to put this one together is up to you. Breakfast sausage can easily be substituted for the bacon and a more traditional tomato-based sauce can be used as the foundation of your pizza. Use the veggies you have on hand and feel free to pick favorites. After all, this is breakfast and starting it out right can help shape the rest of your day. Enjoy!

Breakfast Pizza

  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 t. yeast
  • 1⁄4 tsp. salt
  • 1 T. granulated sugar
  • 2⁄3-3/4 c. lukewarm water
  • Initial toppings (see below)
  • 3 eggs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Small handful of watercress or other spring greens

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Mix 1 cup of the flour with the yeast, salt, sugar, and water (start with 2/3 cup and add more as needed to form the right consistency). Gradually add the second cup of flour until it forms a ball. Use your hands to form and knead the dough. Let the dough rest 10-15 minutes in a bowl covered with a dish towel to keep it warm.

Press the dough evenly into a shallow pan. I used a cookie sheet because I like rectangular pizzas!

Layer the following onto the prepared crust:

  • pesto
  • crumbled goat cheese
  • 1 sliced tomato (cut the pieces into bite-sized wedges and spread evenly over the crust)
  • cooked, crumbled bacon (3-4 slices)
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and carefully crack an egg into a small bowl. Gently slide the egg out of the bowl and onto the pizza. Repeat with the other two eggs. Place the pizza back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and egg is not slimy. Remove from oven top with grated parmesan cheese and fresh torn watercress.

  • Yields: 6 servings
  • Preparation Time: 45 minutes

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