This breakfast pizza is quite simple to make from scratch with pizza crust loaded with bacon and eggs and cheese. Sounds like all the makings of a proper breakfast to us. It also seems like a pretty darn good reason to get out of bed.
This breakfast pizza recipe was devised by baker Joanne Chang as an alternative to the many buttery, sugary, sweet breakfast treats that she offers at Flour, her beloved bakery with locations throughout Boston. The breakfast pizza brilliantly caters to those customers who sorta need bacon and eggs in the morning but in a grab-and-go sorta fashion. Of course, we prefer to linger over it while seated at the table, but that’s just us. As Chang says, “it’s a bit of a messy breakfast, but you won’t care once you taste how good it is.”–David Leite
What makes brioche different from other bread dough?
Chang relies on rich, buttery, ever so slightly sweet, indulgent brioche dough for this breakast pizza, which she allows to rest overnight in the fridge before she stretches and pulls it like pizza dough for this breakfast creation. Soft, pillowy, and golden, brioche is an enriched French dough that’s used for everything from artisan hamburger buns to seriously good French toast. What sets is apart from other breads is the amount of eggs and butter used in the dough. That is—a lot of butter and eggs. Brioche has a soft texture and a sweeter taste than a lot of other breads, making it an excellent choice for recipes like this one. Though homemade brioche is lovely here, we’ve swapped it out for our most trusted pizza dough and we’ve heard no complaints. Either serves as a magnificent platform for a bacon pizza blanketed with cheese and baked until the eggs are barely set.
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Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
- 12 slices thick-cut, applewood-smoked bacon
- 1 batch pizza dough
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1 cup Caramelized Onions
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and place 1 rack in the center of the oven and another in the top third of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the prepared sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the slices are about half barely crisp and half a little bendy. Remove the bacon from the oven and let cool.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the pizza dough into a rectangle about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Using a ruler and a knife, divide the pizza dough in half horizontally and then divide it vertically into strips 2 inches wide. You will have eight 2-inch squares, each about 3 1/2 ounces. Stretch each square of pizza dough into a circle about 5 inches in diameter as if you’re making a small pizza.
- Stretch the inner part of the circle so that it’s quite thin and shape the edge of the circle to create a rim that will contain the runny egg. The center should be almost paper-thin. Place the dough circle on 1 of the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the remaining dough squares, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart and using both baking sheets.
- Using the back of a spoon, spread 1 tablespoon crème fraîche over the base of each circle of dough, spreading it evenly over the base but leaving the raised rim bare. Cut the bacon slices in half and press 3 half slices bacon up against the rim of each circle of dough to create a reinforcing bacon wall just within the rim. Divide the caramelized onions evenly among the circles of dough, spooning and spreading the onions next to the bacon but leaving the center of the circle bare except for the crème fraîche.
- Bake the pizzas for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the pizzas start to turn light brown, switching the baking sheets between the racks and rotating them back to front about halfway during baking. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully crack an egg into the center of each pizza. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup mozzarella on top of each pizza, covering both the egg and the exposed rim of dough.
- Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes (again switching the baking sheets between the racks and rotating them back to front about halfway through baking) or until the cheese has melted, the edges of the egg are cooked but the yolk is still wiggly, and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let the pizzas cool for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the eggs to set up a bit before serving.
Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I absolutely LOVE this breakfast pizza. I used my favorite pizza dough recipe—the one from Jim Lahey. [Editor’s Note: You’ll find this recipe when you click on the link in the ingredient list above.] This recipe is simple and perfect. Do yourself a favor and don’t rush the dough. You could certainly use other meats and cheeses, but if you love bacon and eggs, this needs nothing else. Using the bacon to dam the egg is a great idea and works as planned. Make extras, you’ll need them!
For this breakfast pizza recipe I made the crème fraîche, bacon, caramelized onion, egg, and mozzarella version using brioche dough. I would suggest that instead of cutting the dough into 8 squares, it might be easier to weigh the dough and then divide it into 8 pieces of equal weight.
I tried to cook the egg so that the yolk was still runny, but didn’t manage to do so. The additional 8 to 10 minutes baking was inadequate to cook the egg, though by then the brioche crust was a bit overdone. Therefore, I would suggest giving the crust less than 15 minutes initial baking time and adding the egg sooner, and then continuing to cook until the egg white has set.
However, I really enjoyed these pizzas. I thought my brioche dough added a nice sweetness, and I would definitely make them again.
This brioche breakfast pizza was the perfect Sunday night dinner indulgence. We worked together as a family to make them, which added to the feeling of satisfaction when we sat down to a different and delicious dinner.
The brioche dough was buttery and rich, encasing a beautifully cooked egg and crisped bacon. We liked the combo of egg, bacon, and crème fraîche. We used mozzarella on some and sharp white Cheddar on others. We greatly preferred the cheddar – the mozzarella was too mild. We’ll definitely be making these again.
The pizzas are not a simple endeavor, though if you’re used to making your own pizza crust, they aren’t much more work, just more time-consuming. The pizzas are definitely not a quick weekend breakfast or weeknight dinner. They’re more of a weekend project, but one worth doing. I used the link in the recipe above to the Sarabeth Bakery brioche. That recipe called for 8 egg yolks, which I conveniently had in the freezer, leftover from angel food cake. There are steps that are easy to do ahead, and I would recommend working ahead as much as possible. Be sure to make the sides of the brioche crusts tall, but not overly thick. Some of ours were too thick and bready, but they also weren’t tall enough to contain all the egg.
The whole family helped keep up with the dirty dishes, which made a big difference. It took an extra 10 minutes in the oven to set the egg whites fully. I will certainly be making the brioche again, both for more breakfast pizzas and just to have as brioche (and maybe some brioche cinnamon rolls).
This breakfast pizza is time-intensive recipe if using brioche dough, but with some planning, this can make a really nice weekend breakfast or brunch when you’re likely to be moving at a more leisurely pace.
I made the brioche dough the day before. The dough looked like slightly wet bread dough. As I continued to mix, it became tackier and shinier. Although it may look like it’s too wet and won’t come together, I was able to pull it all out in one piece and transfer the dough to a bowl. (I had taken the tips from other brioche recipes I had and resisted adding more flour. I had read that the high butter content is what makes it appear wet.) When I took out the dough the next morning, the recipe didn’t indicate that it needed to come to room temperature before using—though other doughs that I proof in the fridge usually do. I was a little torn on what to do because it had taken so much time but decided to proceed as directed.
I made half the pizzas using the carmelized onions and bacon and the other half with ham, ricotta, and Parmesan. The onions were done overnight via the slow cooker, so that saved lots of hands-on time. It was kind of tricky making the bacon and ham walls to keep the cracked egg in, so I had a little egg spill over. (Make sure the bacon slices overlap, and try to press the slices into the dough for more support.) We definitely liked the bacon and carmelized onion pizzas better—the ham, ricotta, and Parmesan could have used some herbs.
My husband and I found the pizza dough to be too dense and crumbly. I’m wondering if it would have helped if the dough was allowed to come to room temperature and rise a little before handling it? I didn’t get a chance to retry but will do it and report back…I like the idea of the brioche dough better than a standard pizza dough, but given the work required, I might opt for pizza dough next time.
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I love making brioche dough and never thought about using it for pizza. We made the Ham, Ricotta and Parmesan version and enjoyed it as Breakfast for Dinner… I baked a trial tray of two pizzas to get the feel for cooking time to achieve those wiggly egg yolks. These pizzas remind me of the savory breakfast pastries available at bakeries in France. This recipe is a keeper.
Fantastic, Deb! We’re so glad it turned out so well. Breakfast for dinner, yes please.
I was excited to try this breakfast pizza recipe. Since it’s a mad dash most weekday mornings—cereal is our go-to—we have big weekend breakfasts together that are special. I made the bacon and onion version as well as the tomato and Cheddar version since I had those on hand. The tomato Cheddar version ended up being the best. I have mixed feelings about this dish. I think it’s a fun breakfast idea as it plates up nicely and is unique. I think the bacon version might do better with a sharper flavor of cheese. All in all, although it’s a lot of work, this has the potential to be a great weekend brunch staple, especially for a party or for kids. The only thing I didn’t LOVE about this recipe was the brioche dough. I normally love brioche but I found it to be too rich with the bacon and egg version. It stood up better to the other variation as the sharp Cheddar and tomato held up nicely in contrast to the rich, eggy crust.
Completely agree with the special weekend breakfasts. And appreciate your thoughtful comments, K Gramlow!
Hi, David!
I used to live in Japan and my best friend’s Mom fed us small Japanese Pizzas and a small salad for breakfast. Well, you don’t have to guess how surprised I was at first, but on the whole it made a lot of sense. It was great! And the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. It was light and satisfying and an alternative to rice, fish and pickles in the morning. I could blather on about it for hours, but for novelty, that won the prize. And yes, it was 40 years ago, too! My, how time flies…
Jon
Kent, OH
Jon, thank you for that memory. Isn’t it funny how such small things about food can stay with us for so, so long?
My first exposure to breakfast pizzas was my former mother-in-law’s green chili and sausage pizza. I loved the flavor combo but wasn’t a huge fan of the biscuit crust and ‘milky’ scrambled eggs. I love that these are individual pizzas so I can try half as written in the recipe and work on my take on the hatch green chili (so good with cheese!) and sausage with the other. Thanks.
Melinda, my pleasure. And let me know how they turn out.
Hi David, I FINALLY made a jalapeño popper variation of these-cream cheese, pickled jalapeño.
All it took was having leftover pizza dough (not Brioche dough, I don’t think that would work with these toppings) in the fridge. I like my yolks runny so I added the eggs as suggested and one turned out perfect and the other’s yolk was a little overdone (but just a little). Maybe next time I’ll hold off on just the yolks for another few minutes-depends on how many times I feel like opening the oven door I guess.
That looks gorgeous!
We added the egg almost immediately after putting the dough in the oven, and precooked the bacon in the microwave. The yolk was hard cooked after eight minutes. I used a pizza stone, which may have been why. I will tweak next time. Delicious! I will add roasted or cooked mushrooms, too, since they have such an affinity for eggs. Thyme would be tasty, too.
Hi, Amy. Happy you liked the recipe. I think the hard yolks are due to the fact you added them right at the beginning. The recipe says to add them after 15 minutes of baking. The baking stone will certainly add extra heat, but not sure if that’s the issue. And I love your idea of roasted mushrooms. Yes, indeed, a great match for eggs.
If I had baked the dough for fifteen minutes on the stone, it would’ve been a black cracker, rather than a breakfast pizza. The entire pizza with egg took less than ten minutes to cook in a 400 degree oven with a stone. Next time, I will add the egg later. This is one of those “I didn’t follow the directions” comments, which are notorious on the interwebs. I guess my comment is just to say, if one uses a pizza stone, one’s “mileage may vary.”
Ah, Amy, I understand what you’re saying now. Clearly, there’s nothing wrong with the diverging from a recipe is written, but there’ll always be adjustments until you figure out exactly what you need to do. It seems as if you have!