Description
This fresh and zesty Lemon Pizza recipe combines a tender, easy no-knead pizza dough with a bright lemon brine, creamy mozzarella, and finishing touches of parmesan and fresh herbs. Perfect for a light and flavorful meal, this pizza offers a delightful balance of citrus and cheese with a crispy crust baked on a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough
- 1 ball Easy pizza dough (or store-bought dough)
Lemon Brine
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mozzarella
- 5 oz (150 grams) fresh mozzarella (or ½ to ⅓ cup shredded firm mozzarella)
To Finish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Follow the easy no-knead pizza dough recipe through step 5, including shaping the pizza dough and preheating the oven to the required temperature.
- Prepare the cheese: If using fresh mozzarella packed in water, slice it into ½ inch thick pieces. Dab with paper towels if it is very watery to remove excess moisture.
- Shape the dough: Place the dough on a parchment paper sheet. Starting from the center, gently press it out with your fingers to form approximately a 9×13 inch rectangular pizza. Then transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a pizza peel or the back of a rimmed baking sheet.
- Make the lemon brine: Combine extra virgin olive oil, water, fresh parsley, grated garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, fine salt, and black pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake well until emulsified.
- Add the toppings: Create a few dimples in the stretched dough using your fingers and scatter the lemon brine evenly over the dough, ensuring the dimples are filled. Spread the mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake the pizza: Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto a preheated pizza stone or an inverted rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown and crispy, about 15 minutes depending on your oven.
- Finish and serve: Drizzle the baked pizza with fresh lemon juice, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Optionally, add chili flakes for a bit of heat. Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don’t have a pizza stone, invert a rimmed baking sheet and preheat it on the lowest oven rack. This will provide a crisp crust similar to a pizza stone.
- Use parchment paper to easily slide the pizza onto and off the peel or baking sheet.
- Dabbing the mozzarella with a paper towel helps prevent a soggy pizza by removing excess moisture.
- Watch your pizza closely as baking times may vary depending on your oven type and temperature.
- Fresh parsley can be substituted with basil or oregano for a different herb flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
