WILD PEPPER & BASIL PIZZA
Posted on July 01 2025
Weeknight friendly pizza from scratch!
Wild Pepper & Basil Pizza
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Main
Servings
4-6
Cook Time
15 minutes
Author:
Curio Kitchen
Makes 2, 11-inch pies.
Voatsiperifery (say ‘vwat-si-per-if-er-y’) is a rare, wild pepper that grows in the treetops of Madagascar’s forests. Its citrusy aroma and musky, piney flavor pair well with the basil and goat cheese that top this no-sauce pizza. Once out of the oven, a sprinkle of flaky Cyprus sea salt is the finishing touch.
This is a week-night friendly pizza — the dough comes together quickly and only requires a one-hour rise. Change up the toppings with other not-too-salty vegetables, cheeses, or meats, but don’t skip the Cyprus salt!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, plus a bit more for kneading
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (such as SAF)Â
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea saltÂ
-
1 tablespoon Greek dried basil, crushed
-
1 teaspoon voatsiperifery, coarsely ground
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- For the cheese:
- 8 ounces chèvre (fresh goat cheese)
-
2 teaspoons dried Greek basil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzlingÂ
- 1/4 teaspoon grated garlic (from 1 clove)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- For topping:
- 12 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in quarters
- 1/2 cup finely sliced shallots
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
-
1 teaspoon voatsiperifery, cracked
-
1 teaspoon Cyprus flake sea salt
Dry ingredients:
For the cheese:
To garnish:
Directions
Make the dough Put the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, basil, and voatsiperifery into a large bowl, whisk briefly to mix. Measure 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water (be exact!). Add the water to the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms, then use your hands to knead the dough, right in the bowl, until no dry flour remains.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3–4 minutes. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover, and set in a warm spot to rise, until doubled in size, 60–90 minutes.
Make the cheese mixture Put the chèvre into a small mixing bowl and add the basil, oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Mash together with a fork until fully combined and spreadable.
Make the pizza Adjust the oven racks so that one is in the center with none above it. Place a large baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 500° F. Cut two pieces of baking parchment to fit the baking sheet.
- Divide the dough half. Working on one of the parchment sheets, pat and stretch one half of the dough into an approximately 11-inch oblong, then roll it with a rolling pin to about â…›-inch thick. (Sprinkling about a teaspoon of flour on the parchment can make working the dough easier.) Center the rolled out dough on the parchment.
- Put half the goat cheese mixture onto the dough and spread it evenly, stopping about ½-inch from the edge. Scatter half the tomatoes and shallots over the cheese, and drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over them. Sprinkle on half the Parmesan and voatsiperifery.
- Use a flat baking sheet or baking peel to transfer the pizza (on the parchment) to the now-scorching baking sheet that’s in the oven. Bake until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 13-14 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle with flaky salt, let rest for a couple of minutes, then cut and serve.
- Bake the second pie in the same way, while noshing on the first!
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