If you are wondering what is a White pizza, you’ve come to the right place. With its increased popularity in recent years, more people have become aware of its existence.
However, while some people have heard of a white pizza, fewer people understand it.
But don’t worry because we will change that in just a few minutes.
People prefer to stick to what they know when it comes to pizza. They have this concept of what a pizza consists of, and anything that differs from that sends some people into a tail-spin.
Honestly, a white pizza is not as bad as it does sound. So, what is it, and what options do you have?
The good news is that you will not have the same restrictions that your mind perhaps tells you to expect when it comes to this type of pizza.
The Answer
The simple answer here is that a white pizza refers to a pizza that does not have a tomato sauce base. However, don’t stress because it’s still a pizza without that base.
But you should also not fall into the trap of thinking that it means everything on the pizza has to be white. That’s not the case. So, the name may come across as slightly confusing, but we will help you through that confusion.
Also, you may see it referred to as pizza Blanco. It just means the same thing, but we get it sounds fancier when it’s written in Italian.
The Basics of a White Pizza
A white pizza is more of an Italian-style pizza, and the basic idea is the same as a normal pizza, minus the tomato base. It has its origins way in the distant past, so it’s not a new thing that has suddenly hit the pizza scene.
When you think about it, pizza was invented in Europe before the tomato got there, so the earliest pizza creations had to have something other than a tomato sauce base.
But what you get here is very easy to understand.
You still get the same pizza crust and loads of cheese. However, you need something on the base to make everything nice and moist, and that’s what we will look at now.
Replacing the Tomato Base
So the major difference with a white pizza is the removal of the tomato sauce base. That then opens up the question of what to replace it with.
Honestly, you have more options for adding something to the base than you initially realized. The most common ingredient used is ricotta cheese. People spread it all over the base, adding a lot of flavor to the crust.
Furthermore, it makes it moist. It may not have the same consistency as the tomato sauce base, but it does add a lot of cheese to the pizza, and we don’t see that as a bad thing.
But that’s not your only option, which may come as a relief if you don’t have a love of ricotta cheese.
People will include a white sauce on the base. Once again, you can add cheese to the white sauce to lift the flavor and stop it from sounding bland. However, there’s no doubt it will stop the crust from simply becoming this dry piece of dough.
But that’s still not every option available to you.
You can use olive oil drizzled over the base as another alternative. This is a very popular approach, and you also do not require a lot of oil for it to prove effective. Also, if you dislike ricotta, how about some cream cheese spread over the base?
Of course, the base of a white pizza is only one part. The toppings also can add something extra to the overall white pizza, and we have a few tips on the most popular toppings in this instance.
The Most Common White Pizza
Even though you have a wide range of options with a white pizza, people tend to have the most common topping. Often, this will include the simple ricotta cheese base, some olive oil, garlic, and lots of cheese, and top it off with some arugula.
While that may sound pretty bland, the combination of ingredients does ensure different flavors can burst through. Also, the arugula is then viewed by some people as optional, and also, if you just wish to break that overall white color on your pizza.
But as you will soon discover, that’s not the only topping you may wish to consider having on your white pizza, even though it’s the most popular.
The Toppings on a White Pizza
You have no limits regarding the toppings you can place on a white pizza. Remember, you don’t have to go ahead and only use ingredients white in color. That’s not the concept of white pizza.
However, you can guarantee that a lot of cheese will appear on a white pizza. It always remains one of the key toppings, and you will often find several different types of cheeses appearing on one pizza.
But as with the options for the base, things won’t end at cheese.
Meat on Your White Pizza
While the idea of including pepperoni on your white pizza just does not come across as a good idea, that doesn’t mean all meat is then excluded. Instead, chicken and turkey remain staple options when you want a white pizza.
Chicken is perhaps the best option. You can add flavoring, herbs, and other toppings when you have chicken on a pizza. So, if you want to have some meat on there, we recommend that over and above anything else.
But you can do anything you want. For example, pieces of steak on a pizza with a white cheese sauce as the base may come across as a bit out there, but it works.
It’s simply a case of delving into a world of possibilities to ultimately settle on the toppings on a white pizza that works for you.
Vegetables on Your White Pizza
Creating a vegetarian pizza is easy when you remove the tomato sauce base. We think it’s easier with vegetables simply because you can use things such as that cheese sauce and also olive oil.
As you will already know, olive oil can make such a huge difference to vegetables, which also applies to a white pizza. Also, don’t just go for anything white, or even off-white.
Mushrooms, peppers, spinach, all of the usual suspects you see on a regular pizza, can also end up on a white pizza. It might even work out you prefer this option with a pizza that focuses more on vegetables, as we think it comes out as exceptionally tasty.
But it also shows you have many options for this type of pizza. Your only limitation will be the types of vegetables you like to eat, even when it’s not on a pizza.
How Tasty is a White Pizza?
Some people fall into the trap of thinking that a white pizza cannot have any taste because it just doesn’t look like a pizza. Well, that’s wrong.
People find that a white pizza has just as much flavor as a pizza containing the tomato sauce base, and that’s because it’s all thanks to a combination of things.
The tomato base has never simply defined a normal pizza. It’s just not as powerful as that, and people often don’t even think about the base that much. People only think about the tomato base when they see it’s removed.
Also, if you want to stick close to the normal pizza but still avoid a tomato base, then a BBQ base can also work. However, we think that’s sort of cheating, and we still recommend you don’t include that if you wish to stay true to the idea of a white pizza.
Overall Conclusion
So that is everything you need to know about a white pizza. Don’t allow yourself to feel put off trying it out simply because it doesn’t have a tomato base. You still have so many options available that we feel it’s well worth having a go.
The key remains the toppings. Also, our other recommendation is to focus on including something on the base, such as ricotta or even a white sauce, to ensure the crust is not too dry.
With the correct combination of ingredients, a white pizza can pack a lot of flavor. We highly recommend giving it a shot and see what you think about removing that tomato base from your pizza. You may end up surprising yourself.
