Pumpkin Pizza

Enjoy this pumpkin pizza any night of the week, but it’s especially fun for Halloween dinner or as a Thanksgiving appetizer. Made with homemade wheat pizza dough and a simple pumpkin pizza sauce - no pumpkin cutting required!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pizza with pumpkin, pumpkin pizza, vegetarian pizza toppings

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Rising Time 1

Total Time 1 55

Servings slices

Calories 260kcal

Author Lindsay Moe

Ingredients

Wheat pizza dough

1 cup warm water 90-100ºF
1 packet quick rise yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for the bowl
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ -2 cups whole wheat flour

Pumpkin pizza sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots diced
15 ounces canned pumpkin puree 1 ½ cups
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup Parmesan cheese plus more for topping

For the pizza

Cornmeal for dusting the pan optional
2 cups shredded fontina cheese
8-10 sage leaves

Instructions

Wheat pizza dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, pour in warm water.
Sprinkle yeast over the top and half of the sugar.
Whisk until dissolved and let rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt to the yeast mixture.
Starting with the white flour, add the flour a little bit at a time, pulsing to start to prevent it from flying out of the bowl. The dough should start to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. It will be slightly sticky to the touch, but should not stick to your fingers.
Allow the mixer to knead for 5 minutes, or remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface.
Form the dough into a tight ball and transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl, turning it over to completely coat the dough in oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Pumpkin pizza sauce

While the dough is rising, prepare the pumpkin pizza sauce.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the shallots have softened.
Add the pumpkin puree, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and nutmeg. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed and slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat, add in the parmesan cheese, and stir to melt. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Pumpkin pizza

Heat the oven to 425ºF.
Dust a large baking sheet with cornmeal.
Remove the cover from the bowl of dough and punch the dough with one hand to release the air.
Using your hands, stretch the dough into a rough rectangle. Place on the prepared pan and use your fingertips to spread it out into an even layer.
Spread the pumpkin pizza sauce evenly over the dough.
Sprinkle with shredded fontina and parmesan cheese.
Place enough sage leaves over the top so that every slice will get some.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until the edges are crispy and everything is hot. Let rest a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Tips for customizing

Add chopped fresh spinach or kale to the top of the pizza
Use homemade pumpkin puree, just make sure it is thick enough to spread and not watery
Skip the whole wheat flour and use all white flour, adding just enough to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers
Swap the parmesan and fontina for your favorite cheese such as mozzarella or gruyere
Use a vegan cheese to make this vegan
Purchase a store bought pizza crust or gluten-free crust
Skip the crust entirely, bake everything in an 8x8 baking dish until warm and serve with rice crackers or crostini

Nutrition