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Smoked Salmon Breakfast Pizza

By Cook's Country

Published on February 22, 2015

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 6

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)4 ounces (½ cup) small-curd cottage cheese ¼ teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper Pinch cayenne pepper 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, room temperature6 large eggs 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed¼ cup sliced red onion 3 ounces sliced smoked salmon, cut into thin strips¼ cup sour cream 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Before You Begin

Small-curd cottage cheese is sometimes labeled “country-style.” Room-temperature dough is much easier to shape than cold, so pull the dough from the fridge about 1 hour before you start cooking.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Grease rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil.
  2. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in bowl; set aside. Combine cottage cheese, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon oil in separate bowl; set aside.
  3. Press and roll dough into 15 by 11-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter, pulling on corners to help make distinct rectangle. Transfer dough to prepared sheet and press to edges of sheet. Brush edges of dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake dough until top appears dry and bottom is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
  4. Remove crust from oven and, using spatula, press down on any air bubbles. Spread cottage cheese mixture evenly over top, leaving 1-inch border around edges.
  5. Sprinkle mozzarella mixture evenly over pizza, leaving 1/2-inch border. Create 2 rows of 3 evenly spaced small wells in cheese, each about 3 inches in diameter (6 wells total). Crack 1 egg into each well, then season each with salt and pepper.
  6. Return pizza to oven and bake until crust is light golden around edges and eggs are just set, 9 to 10 minutes for slightly runny yolks or 11 to 12 minutes for soft-cooked yolks, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
  7. Transfer pizza to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Top pizza with capers, followed by red onion and then salmon. Dollop with sour cream. Sprinkle with chives and dill and drizzle with extra oil. Slice and serve.
Smoked Salmon Breakfast Pizza

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Pizza

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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
4 ounces (½ cup) small-curd cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
¼ cup sliced red onion
3 ounces sliced smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
4 ounces (½ cup) small-curd cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
¼ cup sliced red onion
3 ounces sliced smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
4 ounces (½ cup) small-curd cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
¼ cup sliced red onion
3 ounces sliced smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Pizza is an easy, unexpected crowd favorite for a Sunday brunch, but it comes with a challenge: achieving a crisp, golden-brown crust without overcooking the eggs. To get there, we press room-temperature dough into a lightly oiled sheet pan and parbake it for 5 minutes to give the crust a head start before we add the toppings. The surprising addition of cottage cheese tethers all the ingredients together with a silky creaminess. After the pizza cools, we top it with the classic, elegant combination of piquant capers, crisp red onion, and rich smoked salmon and finish it with sour cream, dill, and chives.

Before You Begin

Small-curd cottage cheese is sometimes labeled “country-style.” Room-temperature dough is much easier to shape than cold, so pull the dough from the fridge about 1 hour before you start cooking.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Grease rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil.
  2. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in bowl; set aside. Combine cottage cheese, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon oil in separate bowl; set aside.
  3. Press and roll dough into 15 by 11-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter, pulling on corners to help make distinct rectangle. Transfer dough to prepared sheet and press to edges of sheet. Brush edges of dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake dough until top appears dry and bottom is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
  4. Remove crust from oven and, using spatula, press down on any air bubbles. Spread cottage cheese mixture evenly over top, leaving 1-inch border around edges.
  5. Sprinkle mozzarella mixture evenly over pizza, leaving 1/2-inch border. Create 2 rows of 3 evenly spaced small wells in cheese, each about 3 inches in diameter (6 wells total). Crack 1 egg into each well, then season each with salt and pepper.
  6. Return pizza to oven and bake until crust is light golden around edges and eggs are just set, 9 to 10 minutes for slightly runny yolks or 11 to 12 minutes for soft-cooked yolks, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
  7. Transfer pizza to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Top pizza with capers, followed by red onion and then salmon. Dollop with sour cream. Sprinkle with chives and dill and drizzle with extra oil. Slice and serve.

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