Breakfast Pizza Help, Please

[Kim Shook]

I want to make a breakfast pizza using bacon jam and some kind of creamy base and then put raw eggs on top that they will cook at the end.  I’m not really interested in putting any greens on it.  So no spinach or anything.  I was thinking a layer of some mixture of ricotta and maybe mozzarella, dollops of bacon jam and then the eggs.  Two questions:

 

1.     Regarding the creamy mixture – does that sound too bland?  Maybe add some Parm?  Or maybe something more like Alfredo sauce?  And what about herbs?  Any additional ideas?

2.     Should I cook the base before adding the eggs, or will everything take about the same amount of time?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

PS – I will probably wimp out and use naan for the crust – can’t see wrestling with pizza dough in the morning!

[Shelby]

So, the naan will already be cooked then.

 

I'd definitely add some parm.  Gives it a kick.  I like your ricotta idea...alfredo seems too rich along with the bacon jam.

 

How hot does your oven get?  Edited to add:  My oven goes to 550F so when I make pizza (using pizza dough that needs to bake) it goes in for 10 mins and is perfect.  I've done eggs on top and 10 mins at that temp was too long....I wanted the yolks a bit runny.  I think I added them with 5 mins left to bake and it was a pain. 

Since the dough doesn't need to bake, I think you're good to add the eggs from the very beginning.

Edited May 27, 2017 by Shelby (log)

[Lisa Shock]

Ok, I admit I have never made an actual breakfast pizza, so the following is based upon making a variety of dinner pizzas....

 

I find that the crust cooks better if it is not totally covered in a sauce -especially a fatty sauce like alfredo.  I have made pizza with korma on it and found that a swirl worked better than total coverage.

 

IMO, Alfredo is too much. I would put down a thin even base of shredded low moisture mozzarella, add minced fresh parsley evenly, then small dollops of bacon jam and 1cm cubes of cream cheese while leaving oval spots for the eggs, and the raw eggs. (personally, I'd add roasted diced green chiles, too)

 

I like adding cream cheese to omelettes, it melts a little but doesn't go too far and it has a good taste -plus people recognize it as breakfast food.

 

If you want to really amp it up a bit, shaved Romano would be good. IMO, Alfredo is already full of parm, it wouldn't need extra -but, I don't like real Alfredo on pizza, it tends to 'break'.

[Kim Shook]

Thanks so much.  Ok - so NO alfredo.  And the cream cheese is a good idea, @Lisa Shock!  I'll go with that.  And I'll put the eggs on from the beginning since my crust will be already cooked, like you suggested @Shelby.  So, I'm now thinking: cream cheese, mozz, a little Parm, parsley, bacon jam, eggs and naan bread.  I'll try the recipe out on us before making for our house guests in July.  I'm thinking that eG is the only place I can admit to doing meal planning in May for July house guests without sounding weird.  

 

One other thought.  The combination of bacon jam and cream cheese reminds me of my very favorite bagel breakfast - cream cheese and bacon on an ET bagel.  How about a sprinkle of Montreal Steak Seasoning on the naan before adding the toppings?  

[Lisa Shock]

IMO, the steak seasoning will be fine. The biggest issue I have had with some non-tomato sauce pizzas has been blandness. (Made a cheese ravioli pizza with bechamel sauce once and it was pretty boring.)

 

Obviously, some experiments will be warranted -practice making perfect and all that jazz. Although, for me, practice makes me think of even more complicated foods to prepare....

 

Might I also suggest serving a Neapolitan classic, especially classic amongst the pizzaioli -Eggs In Purgatory. It's really good, and super easy to make if you make the sauce in advance. When I worked at a pizza place, we often made this for employee breakfast. (I was a prep cook who came in hours before most anyone else.)

Edited May 31, 2017 by Lisa Shock (log)

[Kim Shook]

@Lisa Shock - exactly - I was afraid of them being too bland.  I think that what I've decided on (with y'all's help) will be fine.  Thank you for the idea of eggs in purgatory - I might try that some time for Mr. Kim, but I do not care for eggs and tomato sauce together at all.  

[nickrey]

The flavour in a white base pizza comes from the mix of cheeses. If it doesn't freak you out too much, how about considering using some gorgonzola piccante along with the mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan? It doesn't need to dominate, use just enough give the flavour profile an edge.

[Lisa Shock]

Honestly, I only suggested the mozzarella as a way to block wetter items from soaking the crust. Almost any cheese will do. Grated smoked gouda would probably be great.

 

Wet pizza is a pet peeve of mine. I really hate being in a group situation and saying I am vegetarian and then some other people deciding to share my pizza and thusly try to order with/for me. It's one thing to think, ok, we should eat some vegetables for lunch, it's quite another to pile raw tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, basil, etc. on top of a pizza. -All you get is soup with a wan crust that resembles a paper-thin noodle.

 

Anyway, back to breakfast pizza.... I am not advocating a lot of mild cheese per se, I just want to make sure there is some kind of moisture barrier to keep the eggs and perhaps other things from soaking the crust. Also, beware of too much cheese. I have made the mistake in the past (starting with raw dough, not pre-baked) of using too much cheese; so much that steam had trouble escaping from the crust. The top was overdone, while the crust, particularly just under the cheese, was wet, uncooked and doughy with overtones of slime.

Edited June 6, 2017 by Lisa Shock (log)

[Kim Shook]

Well, THAT didn't go too well.    This is what my pizza looked like:

 

It was WAY overdone.  You can't see it, but it was incredibly salty.  Mr. Kim was trying to be polite, but he obviously didn't like it.  You couldn't even cut it with a knife - you had to pick it up and break it with your hands.  Sigh.

 

OK - here's what I did - oven was at 475F.  Layered in this way - Naan, brushed edges w/ olive oil, spread cream cheese, sprinkled with Montreal Steak Seasoning, spread with bacon jam, sprinkled with mozzarella, Asiago, parsley and the the egg.  Baked for 13 minutes - obviously too long, but at 10 minutes everything BUT the egg looked too browned – the egg white was VERY liquid <shiver>.

 

I would really like to succeed at this.  I'm thinking that the crust overcooking could be solved by NOT using cooked naan, but raw pizza dough.  I detest the thought of trying to roll out pizza dough early in the morning (rolling out pizza dough is one of my bugaboos - no matter how long I let it rest, it still springs back to the size of a drink coaster), but I'd give it a try (probably with store-bought dough).

 

That still doesn't solve the problem of all the cheesy stuff getting overdone, though, does it? Sigh.

 

To lessen the saltiness, I thought that instead of using the steak seasoning, I would make my own "Everything" seasoning mix and leave out the salt - just sesame and poppy seeds, dried minced onion and garlic.  

 

So - any ideas?  Should I just give up and serve fried eggs and Pillsbury frozen biscuits (I don't make good biscuits, either).  I made this kick ass Benton bacon jam that I have to use!  Thank you all so much for putting up with this nonsense! 

[blue_dolphin]

In my limited experience, it can be tricky getting the eggs done just the way you want with this sort of dish, and that's assuming you know the yolk preferences of all the guests.  

 

Using room temp vs refrigerator temp eggs can make a difference of a couple min in the oven.  If you strain the eggs briefly in a fine mesh strainer, you can eliminate some of the loose white (esp in older eggs) so the remainder will cook more quickly.  You could also try using the Julia Child 10-sec/in the shell/ pre-boil that she promoted for poaching.  That may give the white a little head start on cooking.

 

This probably isn't helpful for you, but I had some success with flatbread/egg things in the Cuisi steam oven (see here). 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@Kim Shook,

 

I think 475 F was probably way too hot for a cooked naan base for your dish. The hot temps for pizza dough are for oven spring, but cooked naan has already sprung. If it were me set on making this dish work with naan, I'd try it again, reducing the temp to 325 F, which is what my shirred eggs recipe calls for and bake about 15 or so minutes. I don't know if that would save the cheese from overbrowning and the naan from drying out and hardening or not, but it might be worth a try. All of @blue_dolphin's tips to get a better set egg white sound to me like they would be helpful too.

 

I just thought of something too. You have those Club Dutch ovens, and used in the regular oven, you don't have to worry about hot spots on the bottom like I do using them on the stove top. You could try this by dropping an assembled pizza into a preheated covered Dutch oven. That would retain the steam, helping to keep the naan and cheese moist and help to cook the egg from the top and sides like when you cover the skillet for sunny side up. 

 

Is the pizza dough that is snapping back on you at room temp? Cold dough is notoriously recalcitrant. Also pressing and stretching the dough with your hands is easier and flattens out the bubbles less than rolling it, if you decide to go with a raw dough base.

 

Is there a reason you're so excited about making this breakfast pizza for your special guests instead of one of the more traditional and fabulous breakfast spreads you have shown us over the years?

[Lisa Shock]

don't use dried onion, use fresh onion, just a little, sliced paper-thin and placed on the very top. I agree that the temp was too hot for the cooked dough A lower temp may help, but, the amount of heat needed to just warm the bread is clearly different from the amount needed to cook an egg. Starting with room temp eggs is a good idea, I think you should also try smaller eggs.

 

But, raw dough may be the best bet. You can roll it out the night before and keep it on sheet pans wrapped in cling wrap. I find that docking dough early on, right after it's flattened, helps keep it from springing back. That, and try not to stretch it much. Just flatten it and put in the fridge, no matter that maybe it's a half inch thick. In the morning the cold, flat dough will stretch a little better than fresh dough. -It's tougher and more resistant, but, less likely to shrink. Remember, it does not have to be paper thin. 3oz of dough should make a good 6" round.

 

This all said, we can talk you through biscuit making. Cream biscuits, the drop kind, are pretty easy and quick to make.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

3 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

This all said, we can talk you through biscuit making. Cream biscuits, the drop kind, are pretty easy and quick to make.

 

Yeah, I almost said something about biscuits, but didn't want to get too off-the-point. Even Bisquick drop biscuits, which only require additional milk are better than whack-a-can ones.   I don't like the trans fat in Bisquick, though, and make mine with butter. I even have a respectable version that uses vegetable oil that is better than the canned version. Biscuits are all about proper oven temp, dough consistency and gentle handling of said dough. I am not the Biscuit Queen locally, though. That title would go to Pam's Farmhouse Restaurant in Raleigh. (They probably use shortening with trans fat, but man, they are so good.)

[Lisa Shock]

I too avoid transfat at all costs -and I have clean arteries to show for it!

 

While I prefer the classic biscuit where butter is cut in to the flour, salt, and baking powder, then buttermilk is added, James Beards' mother's cook, Jue-Let's, cream biscuit recipe is just easy and tasty. (I doctor it a tiny bit by adding a ¼ tsp of onion powder, it adds a savoriness and reduces the raw flour taste.)  You can lightly press them into molds, like flan rings, if you need special sizes or shapes.

 

Back to breakfast pizza...

In the long run, it's best to not try to hold onto an idea that isn't working, especially if it's based on a structural concept you're enamored of rather than helping the food shine and be its best.

[nickrey]

If the base is cooked and the egg is on top, why not use the griller (broiler) rather than the oven, similar to making open faced toasted sandwiches with already cooked toast? If the cheese and base still cook too quickly, put them in the freezer overnight already made up. That way the only thing at room temperature is the egg, which you will add in the morning. The egg will cook, the cheese will defrost and then melt and cook, and the base will defrost and then crisp. Problem solved.

[kayb]

Here's a different direction for a breakfast pizza, and it's pretty wonderful:

 

1 pkg crescent rolls     

1 lb sausage    

Chopped onion about 1/4 cup.   more if you want

4 frozen hash brown patties; thaw slightly

1 cup Shredded cheese 

3 eggs; beaten

1/4 cup milk

 

Lay crescent rolls out on pizza pan with points toward the center.    Pat rolls out to cover pan. Brown sausage and onions together, drain well.   Sprinkle sausage and onion mixture over rolls,  Add cheese on top of sausage-onion mixture. Crumble up the hash browns and sprinkle on top of the cheese.   Beat eggs and milk together and pour over all of pizza.   Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes till bubble and golden brown.

 

This thing tastes way better than one might expect it to. One of my work team always brings one to the soup kitchen when we work, to feed the volunteers. 

 

I have, at present, duck eggs. I'm going to do Vivian Howard's shirred eggs in stewed tomatoes, from her Deep Run Roots, one morning.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

14 hours ago, nickrey said:

If the base is cooked and the egg is on top, why not use the griller (broiler) rather than the oven, similar to making open faced toasted sandwiches with already cooked toast? If the cheese and base still cook too quickly, put them in the freezer overnight already made up. That way the only thing at room temperature is the egg, which you will add in the morning. The egg will cook, the cheese will defrost and then melt and cook, and the base will defrost and then crisp. Problem solved.

 

Might be possible but not with my electric broiler. Also freezing cream cheese will alter the texture so it's no longer creamy and very crumbly.

[ElsieD]

@Kim Shook  I don't think this is exactly what you are looking for but the directions might be of some use.  For some reason, the web site would not let me copy the link.  So, go to Jarlsberg.com and search for breakfast flatbread.  

[Kim Shook]

Thank you all for your advice and help.  I tried again this morning and I may come back to this at some point, but I think I've given up on it for now.  I think that it is too fiddly and the results too undependable to serve to guests for breakfast.  This morning, I tried it with purchased pizza dough (on a bright note, I managed to press/pull out a decent pizza crust!).  Either the cheese is too done and the egg disgustingly underdone, or EVERYTHING is overdone. I really wanted to showcase bacon jam - these folks have heard us talk about it, but never had it and they will definitely appreciate it.  I make something that I call ET bacon crescents.  It is just 'Whomp' crescent rolls filled with cream cheese and bacon and rolled up.  You sprinkle them with everything bagel seasoning mix and bake.  I was thinking that I'd make them, subbing bacon jam for the plain bacon and serve them with eggs on the side!

[Lisa Shock]

You know, you can make croissant dough and freeze it for up to about 6 months. If you are up to the task, this would be more impressive (and tastier) than the canned rolls. Croissants, btw, are pretty simple to make, with few ingredients, you just need to be around the house for most of the day to do the 'turns' (folding the dough). You could freeze the dough as rolled and cut triangles and they would thaw out in about 15 minutes in a warm spot.

[Kim Shook]

4 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

You know, you can make croissant dough and freeze it for up to about 6 months. If you are up to the task, this would be more impressive (and tastier) than the canned rolls. Croissants, btw, are pretty simple to make, with few ingredients, you just need to be around the house for most of the day to do the 'turns' (folding the dough). You could freeze the dough as rolled and cut triangles and they would thaw out in about 15 minutes in a warm spot.

This is a great idea, Lisa!  Croissant dough (along with bagels) is a project that I promised myself I'd try when I retired.  It has been a few years now and I have made NO progress.  I want to do that, but I don't think I have time for it before our friends arrive.  I'll be asking for advice when I get to it, though!

[kayb]

FWIW -- to me, the absolute best way to showcase bacon jam is on a cheddar cheese biscuit. I add a significant dose of white cheddar and black pepper to my regular biscuits, and bake as usual. 

 

It also does very well as an addition to eggs en cocotte; I will make cheese grits, put a layer in the bottom of ramekins, create a little divot, add an egg, dollop some bacon jam around the edges, top with a couple tablespoons of cream and a few sprinkles of grated cheese for good measure, and bake for 15 minutes for a lovely runny yolk. Easy to make the grits/bottom layers the night before, then build the rest in the a.m. and bake! With muffins and fruit, it's a lovely breakfast.

 

Edited June 12, 2017 by kayb (log)