Merken My friend Marcus showed up with a jar of hot honey last summer, the kind with actual pepper flakes settled at the bottom, and insisted we put it on pizza. I was skeptical until that first bite—the creamy ricotta and salty prosciutto hit first, then that golden drizzle brought this unexpected warmth and sweetness that made everything click. Now I make this white pizza every time someone says they want something that feels fancy but tastes like a spontaneous kitchen victory.
I made this for my partner on a random Tuesday when we couldn't decide what to eat, and they actually paused mid-slice to take a picture. That moment of watching someone taste food you just made with real appreciation, before they even say anything, is honestly why I cook at all.
Ingredients
- Pizza dough (12–16 oz): Room temperature dough stretches without fighting back; if you've been keeping it in the fridge, give it 20 minutes on the counter first so it relaxes and cooperates with your hands.
- Ricotta cheese (1/4 cup): This is your creamy base layer, so don't skimp on quality—good ricotta tastes almost sweet, which balances the salty prosciutto beautifully.
- Shredded mozzarella (2 cups): The workhorse cheese that gets bubbly and stretchy; fresh mozzarella can work but will release more moisture, so pat it dry first if you go that route.
- Grated Parmesan (1–2 oz): The sharpness here cuts through the richness and adds a nutty depth that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
- Beef prosciutto (2–3 oz): Tear it into rough pieces rather than precise slices—the irregular edges crisp up better in the oven and look intentional, not fussy.
- Fresh oregano: Strip the leaves from the stems just before topping because once leaves hit the stem, they lose that bright flavor quickly.
- Honey (3 tbsp): The heat comes from pepper, but honey provides the sweetness that makes your palate want to keep going back for another bite.
- Cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp) and red pepper flakes (pinch): Cayenne gives subtle heat that builds, while flakes add visible texture and little pops of spice.
- Balsamic vinegar (1/2 tbsp): Just enough tang to prevent the hot honey from becoming one-note sweet.
Instructions
- Heat your oven properly first:
- Get that pizza stone or steel in at 475–500°F at least 15 minutes early so the bottom of your crust bakes through instead of steaming. A cold stone means a soggy center, and nobody wants that.
- Stretch the dough gently:
- Lightly flour your surface and hands, then let gravity and patience do the work—stretch from the center outward, rotate the dough, repeat. If it springs back stubbornly, let it rest for a minute and try again.
- Layer cheese like you mean it:
- Spread ricotta first in a thin, even layer, leaving a border for crust. Top with mozzarella, then finish with Parmesan, because each cheese does something different—ricotta softens, mozzarella gets stringy, Parmesan adds bite.
- Distribute prosciutto thoughtfully:
- Tear it into varied sizes and scatter across the cheese so every bite has some. If you leave gaps, you'll have bland bites; if you overlap too much, it won't crisp.
- Scatter oregano evenly:
- Fresh herbs can burn if they touch the hottest parts of the oven too long, so distribute them so no one area has a pile.
- Make the hot honey while pizza bakes:
- Whisk honey, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and balsamic together in a small bowl—it should smell warm and smell alive, like heat and sweetness in agreement. The balsamic is the secret that keeps it from tasting like plain spicy honey.
- Bake until the edges are golden:
- You're aiming for 8–12 minutes; watch the cheese bubble and the crust turn golden brown at the edges. The moment the mozzarella stops looking shiny and starts looking matte, you're almost there.
- Drizzle hot honey at the finish:
- Either in the last minute of baking or right after pulling the pizza out, pour that hot honey over the top so it melts into the warm cheese and settles into every crevice. It'll seem like too much until you taste it.
- Rest before slicing:
- One to two minutes lets everything set just enough so the cheese doesn't slide off the slice when you pick it up.
Merken My sister brought her girlfriend over to try this pizza, and watching three people who don't usually cook together suddenly huddle around a still-steaming slice, passing it around and debating whether it was the honey or the prosciutto that made it special, felt like the entire point of making food at all. Food that makes people stop and notice is the kind you remember making.
The Hot Honey Secret
This isn't just honey with pepper thrown in—the balsamic is what separates a gimmick from something genuinely delicious. It adds a quiet acidity that keeps the sweetness from cloying, and when it hits the warm cheese and salty prosciutto, all three flavors start a conversation instead of competing. I've tried making hot honey without balsamic and it feels flat, like a joke without a punchline.
Why White Pizza Deserves More Love
Tomato sauce pizza is the default, which means people often overlook how much flavor you can pack into white pizza if you're intentional about it. The ricotta brings a creaminess that sauce never could, the oregano tastes brighter against that background, and the prosciutto has room to actually shine instead of fighting with acidic tomato. It's also faster to assemble since you're not spreading and waiting for sauce to distribute evenly.
Building Your Pizza Night
This pizza pairs unexpectedly well with crisp white wine, a simple green salad with lemon dressing, or even just fresh fruit after to cut through the richness. The components feel elevated without requiring any special skill, just attention and the willingness to let quality ingredients speak for themselves.
- Prep your toppings before the oven comes to temperature so you're not rushing while the dough is ready.
- If beef prosciutto is hard to find, soppressata works beautifully and brings a similar salty depth.
- Make extra hot honey and keep it in a jar—it's useful on roasted vegetables, fried chicken, or even vanilla ice cream when you're feeling adventurous.
Merken This pizza became part of my regular rotation because it proves that simple ingredients, when treated with care and attention, taste like something special. Make it once and you'll understand why.
Fragen rund um das Rezept
- → Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Rindprosciutto und normalem Prosciutto?
Rindprosciutto wird aus Rindfleisch hergestellt und hat einen kräftigeren, würzigeren Geschmack als traditionellen Schweineprosciutto. Er ist oft dunkler und verfügt über eine intensivere Aromatik, die hervorragend mit cremigen Käsesorten harmoniert.
- → Kann ich den scharfen Honig vorbereiten?
Ja, der scharfe Honig kann problemlos mehrere Tage im Voraus zubereitet werden. Bewahren Sie ihn in einem verschlossenen Glas bei Raumtemperatur auf. Die Mischung aus Honig, Cayennepfeffer, Chiliflocken und Balsamico entwickelt sich sogar etwas weiter und wird aromatischer.
- → Welcher Käse eignet sich am besten für weiße Pizza?
Ricotta bildet die cremige Basis, während geriebener Mozzarella für die klassische Ziehfähigkeit sorgt. Parmesan fügt zusätzliche Würze und Umami hinzu. Diese Kombination aus drei Käsesorten schafft den perfekten Geschmack und die ideale Textur.
- → Wie bekomme ich den knusprigen Boden?
Ein sehr heißer Ofen mit Pizza-stein oder -stahl ist entscheidend. Heizen Sie auf 475°F–500°F (245°C–260°C) vor. Der Stein muss mindestens 30 Minuten im Ofen werden, um sich vollständig aufzuheizen. Backen Sie den Teig direkt auf dem heißen Stein für optimal knusprige Ergebnisse.
- → Was passt gut dazu?
Ein kräftiger italienischer Weißwein wie Pinot Grigio oder Sauvignon Blanc ergänzt die reichhaltigen Aromen hervorragend. Ein frischer grüner Salat mit Balsamico-Dressing bietet eine angenehme leichte Note und gleicht die Fettigkeit der Käsesorten aus.
- → Kann ich den Teig selbst machen?
Selbstgemachter Pizzateig funktioniert hervorragend und benötigt nur Mehl, Wasser, Hefe, Salz und etwas Olivenöl. Für beste Ergebnisse lassen Sie den Teig 24-48 Stunden im Kühlschrank reifen. Alternativ kann hochwertiger Frischteig vom Bäcker verwendet werden.