Balsamic Mushroom Fontina Pizza.
This easy and delicious Balsamic Mushroom Fontina Pizza is my favorite vegetarian pizza. Homemade pizza dough topped with jammy fig preserves, balsamic mushrooms, and ricotta cheese. All baked in a super hot oven until the cheese is melty and bubbly, the mushrooms roasted, and the crust turns golden and perfect. As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with fresh thyme and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Slice, eat, and ENJOY. Trust me, every last bite of this pizza is delicious and will leave everyone in the family wanting more.
These last two months have been filled with indulgent holiday recipes. Now that the excess has subsided I’m left craving easy vegetable-filled dinners that the whole family will love. Because after the holidays it’s always nice to focus on some vegetable-heavy dinners…but of course, without sacrificing the flavor.
Enter this simple mushroom pizza that takes no time to prepare. It’s the perfect healthy January recipe that feels satisfying, but yet is still chock-full of vegetables.
This is my January pizza of choice!
Pizza is one of my favorite meals to make for the family, especially on colder winter nights. And it’s so easy to make using Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, which I’ve stocked for easy bread recipes, pizza dough, and of course, my favorite cinnamon rolls for Sunday morning.
Using Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast really takes the fear (and time) out of baking bread and yeasted doughs at home. I know cooking and baking with yeast can be a little intimidating. But it’s recipes like this pizza that demonstrate just how easy using yeast can be.
dough before rolling
To make the dough…
Are you ready for this? It’s so simple.
Just mix flour with Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, add room temperature beer (my secret ingredient), and olive oil. Mix, let the dough rest one hour, and you’re done. You now have homemade pizza dough that requires so little effort and is so much better than any store-bought dough.
The beer creates a nice, soft, extra-crusty no-knead pizza dough. If you don’t like to cook with beer, you can simply use an equal amount of warm water.
What’s fun about this pizza dough is that you really can’t mess it up. It’s so easy to make, really anyone can do it. You don’t even need a fancy stand mixer…just a bowl and a spoon, that’s it.
Super Simple.
Now on to the assembly.
I kept this pizza simple, using my favorite pizza topping – mushrooms!
Here’s how this goes. First, preheat the oven and roll out the prepared dough.
You need to cook this pizza at a high heat temp, so start preheating your oven to five hundred degrees as soon as you decide you’re making pizza. Ideally one to two hours ahead of time to get it really HOT.
If you’re in a pinch, thirty minutes works too.
Next, simply toss your favorite variety of mushrooms, or a mix of mushrooms, with balsamic vinegar. Massage the vinegar into the mushrooms.
Spread the pizza dough with ricotta cheese and fig preserves. You could also use apple butter, but I love the combination of figs, balsamic vinegar, and mushrooms. Now add the mushrooms, then the fontina cheese. I also used blue cheese, but if your family doesn’t prefer blue cheese, try using crumbled goat cheese. Both are delicious!
Now simply bake in the upper position of your oven (also key), and in less than fifteen minutes you’ll have amazing pizza.
And your kitchen will smell incredible.
My Suggestion?
Start a family pizza night this January. With so many of us staying close to home during the colder days of the year, it’s nice to have something like a pizza night to look forward to.
You can make the dough while the family prepares the toppings, then everyone can even build their own pizzas. Such a fun way to spend a winter night!
Looking for more family pizza night suggestions, try these:
Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza
Artichoke Pesto and Burrata Pizza with Lemony Arugula
Shredded Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza
Pesto Potato and Burrata Pizza
Lastly, if you make this balsamic mushroom fontina pizza be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Balsamic Mushroom Fontina Pizza
Homemade pizza dough with jammy fig preserves, balsamic mushrooms, and ricotta cheese. A fun way to spend a winter night!
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup room temperature beer (or warm water)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Mushroom Pizza
- 1/2 pound pizza dough
- 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, torn
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves or apple butter
- 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese (optional)
- 1/2 cup shaved fontina cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
For the Dough
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1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the beer and olive. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or up to overnight.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and use as directed in recipe.
Pizza!
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1. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. at least 30 minutes before baking, preferably 1-2 hours ahead. If you have a baking stone, start preheating it. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, shallot, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Massage the mushrooms with your hands for 1 minute.
3. On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle). Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Spread the dough with the ricotta and the preserves. Add the mushrooms. Top with crumbled blue cheese, then the shaved fontina.
5. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pizza, and bake another 3-5 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Top the pizza with fresh thyme and drizzle with truffle oil. ENJOY!
Recipe Notes
Perfect Dough: To get the right consistency in your dough, start with your base amount of flour, then add more as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth but not dry. It’s better to have a dough that’s on the slightly sticky side than a dough that’s too dry. It should be a bit loose; it should not feel dense or heavy.
(This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep HBH cooking!)
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Oooh this looks delicious and thank you for sharing and inspiring us. Making homemade pizzas is on my cooking ‘to-do’ list for this year, so I am looking forward to trying out this recipe.
Hey Colleen,
I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Can you use whole wheat flour instead? If so, would you recommend doing a blend of whole wheat flour vs what flour only? Thanks!
Hey Allie,
Yes, I think that would work well to do a blend! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So. Excited. This is my DREAM pizza! So glad you shared the recipe for your pizza dough! I cannot wait to make this!
Hey Steph,
I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I love the sound of this pizza so much but I just can’t do mushrooms. Is there a different veggie you would recommend? We used to do a weekly pizza night. Definitely need to bring that back!!
Hey Courtney,
I have so many other pizza recipes that you might enjoy:
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/tomato-herb-pizza/
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/butternut-squash-prosciutto-pizza/
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/shredded-brussels-sprout-and-bacon-pizza/
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/artichoke-pesto-and-burrata-pizza-with-lemony-arugula/
I hope you love these! xTieghan
so you don’t have to pre-cook the mushrooms at all?
Hey Lisa,
That is correct. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My favorite pizza from my local pizza joint, it also has prosciutto on it, they call it the Porky Fig. Yum, I think it’s whats for dinner tonight from home.
Hey Teresa,
Yum!! That sounds pretty great! xTieghan
This recipe sounds incredible!! Can’t wait to make it 🙂 If I have Fleischmann’s regular yeast (not instant) could I follow the same recipe or would you recommend adjustments? Thanks!!
Hey Carolyn,
If you are using active yeast, you will just need to mix the yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water and honey, let that bubble, and then follow the recipe as is! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious. I loved your idea of using beer in the dough mix and as I have no Scooby about beer I ended up choosing a Cornish light ale which both smelt and tasted lovely in the pizza.
Hey Colleen,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Is it possible to use 1 to 1 flour for the dough to make it gluten free?
Hey Sarah,
Yes, that will work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Didn’t work for me:-(
Hey Misty,
So sorry, can you tell me what went wrong or how I can help? xTieghan
Wow, i’m so excited to try this. How many tsp of yeast are in one of those packets? Thank you for all the yummy recipes!
Hey Makena,
Each packet of yeast has 2 1/4 teaspoons. I hope you love the pizza! xTieghan
I have to give a try to this recipe.
Hope you love it! xTieghan
I am a bit confused in regards to the greasing of a sheet pan. Assuming that the pizza is to be baked on that pan vs. a baking stone. I have a baking stone, so how do you propose me getting the pizza onto the stone? Via the use of a pizza paddle that has been dusted liberally with cornmeal? I love the thought of this recipe as well as the ease of the pizza dough. Will be making this for sure. Big fan of yours, as are two of my granddaughters!
Hey Carol,
So I actually just put my baking sheet directly on top of the baking stone. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
When I read this recipe earlier this week, I was so excited to try it. I made it today and LOVED it!! So did my three kids! I used store-bought dough, which worked fine, but will try your dough recipe next time. Thank you for helping me get a yummy dinner on the table tonight!
Hey Janet,
I am so glad the recipe worked out for you! Thanks for making it:) Happy Friday! xTieghan
Could not find Fontina cheese anywhere. Can you recommend a substitute?
Hey Charlotte,
Really any cheese that you enjoy will work here! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Does this dough roll out easily and stay rolled out? Sadly, I gave up on making pizza at home years ago because I couldn’t get any store bought pizza to stay rolled out…it would always contract…and I don’t have the patience or skill to do that throw/stretch thing in the air that pizza makers do.
Thanks for sharing this recipe that looks so yum!
Hey Michelle,
Yes, this dough works well:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This pizza was so easy to make and really delicious. I wish the crust on the bottom got crispier but I think I should have made it on the pizza stone instead of on a pan on-top of the stone. I didn’t have truffle oil so I drizzled it with Mikes Hot Honey. Really flavorful!
Hey Hailey,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! I hope you have an awesome weekend:) xTieghan
Planning to make this and the Brussel’s sprout/bacon pizzas tonight. Does your dough recipe make one or two pies? I also just got a new pizza stone. Should I oil it before putting in the oven to heat?
Hey Erin,
The dough will make one pie, I would not oil the pizza stone. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, Tieghan –
I made this pizza and it is delicious! I used a store-bought very thin pizza crust. Next time (say, tomorrow) I will use a thicker crust or make your dough. My sister and two nieces are HBH fans and we always let the others know when we try an HBH recipe.
Thanks, Carey
Hey Carey,
I am thrilled that you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have an awesome week:) xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I don’t have any ricotta, would it be ok if I used mozzarella instead, or does the pizza need that moisture from the ricotta? Thanks!
Hey Jasmin,
Mozzarella would be totally fine to use, mascarpone would also be great! I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan
I made the dough several times – easy and tasty. But my dough is always super sticky. Should I add more flour above the 3 cups in the recipe? Thanks!
Hey there,
I am so glad you have been enjoying the recipe! You can always add more flour as you are rolling out the dough. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Bought pizza dough at a favorite pizza spot because short on time. Delicious! Everyone loved it & was much easier to make than it looks especially with buying the dough. Will definitely make again!
Hey Carol,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. I am so glad that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
We made this last night and I found the uncooked mushrooms released far too much moisture along with the balsamic and ricotta, making the crust pretty soggy. In the future I’ll probably cook down the mushrooms and shallots before assembling the pizza, but otherwise this was perfect! Love the flavors!
Hey Emma,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Another great recipe! Fleischamans is a game changer and I now want to make my own pizzas. Recipe was delicious and easy. I forgot to buy ricotta cheese but it taseted awesome without it. I also did not use all of the mushrooms as I think it could have been a lil too much. This recipe is now in my rotation!
Hey there,
I am thrilled you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
What an excellent recipe!! My wife and I decided to make a few of your recipes this week (Wonton Soup, this pizza and 30 min curry) and everything was great!
For the pizza, I ended up using a white balsamic with the mushrooms and made a strawberry balsamic reduction to drizzle over the pizza instead of truffle oil (basically because I couldn’t find truffle oil), but I think the sweetness offset the bold savory flavors nicely.
Hey Charles,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Hi, I made this pizza tonight. The flavors were amazing, but my crust never gets crispy in the middle of the pie, what am I doing wrong? I used a pizza stone and had the oven on 550.. still not crispy😩 any tips?? Thanks for another great recipe
Hey Jen,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! So sorry to hear about your crust. I like to put my baking sheet on top of my pizza stone, I find this gives the best crisp to the crust. Happy Friday:) xTieghan
One of the best “gourmet” pizzas I’ve ever eaten…let alone made. The flavors or balsamic, blue cheese, shallot, fontina…it’s all exquisite together. Teighan has a great sense of flavor combinations…this is no exception. Excellent pizza even with a store crust…but next time, we’re making the crust too.
Hey Doug,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Going to make this tonight… does the dough recipe make the correct amount for one pizza or will there be extra?
Hey Jen,
The dough will make enough for 2 pizzas. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you have the nutritional breakdown of your recipes someplace? I do not see them in the blog.
Hey Ali,
I only provide the estimated calorie count. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I did it. I made the pizza dough!!! It is amasing. Thank you
Hey Corne,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Thanks so much for responding to my question below about using regular yeast! The reply button won’t let me send a response so trying to post again. Just wanted to let you know I followed your suggestion to mix the yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water and honey and…IT WAS THE BEST PIZZA EVER. Most gorgeous, crisp crust and perfect texture. I have tried many other pizza doughs in the past and will never use another one again. Also, the balsamic mushroom topping was a wonderful balance of sweet and tangy. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!! Will surely be a staple at my house 🙂 I hope this freezes well because I will be making a lot of extra portions!
Hey Carolyn,
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this tonight, although it was quite thick and dense. Is the dough recipe for one or two pizzas?
Hey Reece,
The dough is for two pizzas, was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Omg this was SO good. The fig preserve/ricotta with the balsamic mushrooms was a to die for combo! I added caramelized onions and a few thickly sliced zucchini’s and it was splendid. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Rae,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
This was spectacular! I used a different crust recipe I’d been wanting to try (A “Mellow Mushroom” copycat w/molasses), my own apple butter (2Tbsp), and cremini mushrooms. Everything else was pretty much as is, and I loved it. Thanks for another keeper!
Hey Vanessa,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
Gave this recipe a second go, didn’t double up to make twice the amount and damn, this is some seriously easy to make good pizza!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan
Made this so many times! Very easy and delicious.
Hey Reese,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This has become our go-to favorite pizza. First, the crust is so easy and quick to make. I use my Kitchen Aide mixer and it’s a snap. I’m a thin/crispy crust kind of gal and this is perfect. I’ve never been fond of “wild” mushrooms but this recipe has transformed me into a lover of all mushrooms. All of the toppings give it such an amazing flavor of slight sweet, herby, cheesy and fresh.
Hey Jo,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan