Since pizza stores usually don’t open until lunch time, there are only two options for starting your day your with a slice. You can grab a cold slice from last nights pizza or you could make a special breakfast pizza topped with crumbled Italian sausage, caramelized onions, mozzarella, eggs and peppery arugula on a thin, crispy crust.
Of course, both options work in their own unique situations, but for a day that you have a hankering for something super delicious, melty, crispy, buttery and fabulous… start your day with this pizza.
Let’s get started…
Now, you could make your own pizza crust, but that requires pre-planning and extra time for proofing, kneading, shaping… and thats not a super realistic when it comes to breakfast, right? Luckily, I almost always have a few packages of WeWalka’s dough in my refrigerator. I love it and their bistro thin and crispy pizza dough is just perfect for this breakfast pizza.
In addition to the pizza dough, you will need 6 ounces of Italian sausage (I highly recommend Carando’s Italian sausage), 2 thinly sliced medium yellow onions, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar, salt and black pepper, 1/2 cup of stock (any stock will do), 6 ounces of finely shredded mozzarella, 4 large eggs, 1 cup of fresh arugula and WeWalka’s 7.8 ounce bistro thin and crisp crust.
Begin by browning your Italian sausage in a medium pan until it is crispy and cooked through. Once it is finished, set it aside.
To caramelize your onions, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Add 2 medium (or 1 large) thinly sliced yellow onions into the skillet and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar over the onions. A little bit of sugar will help the caramelization process.
Once the onions start to soften and develop a little color, add a big pinch of salt and black pepper and a splash of stock. I am using beef stock today, but chicken or vegetable stock will work fine as well. Stir the onions and let them continue cooking over medium heat.
Once all of the stock has been absorbed, add another splash and continue cooking for a few more minutes. If you notice the onions getting too dark, reduce the heat.
While the onions are caramelizing, I like to whip up a little batch of béchamel or white sauce for this pizza. It’s easy and adds great flavor to the finished product. To make it, simple add 2 tablespoons of butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. I just use the same sauce pan that I browned the sausage in.
Once the butter has melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook the floury paste over medium heat for about 30 seconds whisking constantly and then slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of whole milk. As you whisk, you will notice the sauce thickening and as soon as it does, take it off the heat. Its done!
Once your onions are super soft and golden brown, take them off the heat, because we are ready to assemble this pizza…
Start by unrolling your pizza dough onto a pizza pan or wide flat baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of your béchamel over the crust leaving a 1/2 inch boarder around the outer edge. Sprinkle about 4 ounces of finely shredded mozzarella over the white sauce (we will add the rest of the mozzarella later)…
Now add those gorgeous caramelized onions…
… and your crispy Italian sausage…
Bake the pizza at this stage for 8 minutes in a 425 degree oven and then transfer it onto a heat proof surface, such as a wooden cutting board. Leave the oven at 425 degrees and be sure to close the door quickly when you remove the pizza to avoid allowing too much heat from escaping.
Use a ladle or large spoon to press little divots into the toppings. This is where we will add the eggs. Perfection is not super important, you just want a little nest for the eggs to settle into. Be careful not to press through the crust.
Crack the eggs into the nests and season them with a pinch of salt and black pepper, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the pizza and return the pizza to your 425 degree oven.
Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the eggs are done to your liking. I like to bake my eggs for about 8 minutes to get a nice runny yolk, 10 minutes for medium set yolks and 12 minutes for completely set yolks. The eggs will continue to set just a tiny bit more while the pizza is cooling on your cutting board.
Top your beautiful pizza with some fresh arugula and maybe a few crushed red pepper flakes for little bit of heat and slice it into wedges…
This Italian sausage and arugula breakfast pizza is crisp, buttery and incredibly flavorful. A bit of runny yolk along with the caramelized onions and crispy sausage and that golden crispy crust is everything.
Everything…
I love serving some fresh fruit and a big glass of orange juice with this breakfast pizza. It just completes the whole breakfast/brunch situation in the perfect way.
You are going to love this breakfast pizza.
Italian Sausage & Arugula Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
The Béchamel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of whole milk
- a pinch of salt and black pepper
Pizza Assembly
- 6 ounces of Italian sausage
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup of stock (beef, chicken or vegetable stock)
- 6 ounces of mozzarella, finely shredded
- 4 large eggs
- 7.8 ounce WeWalka bistro thin and crisp pizza crust
- 1 cup of fresh arugula
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat
- Add the thinly sliced yellow onions and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
- Cook over medium heat until the onions begin to soften and develop a lightly golden brown color
- Sprinkle the onions with a big pinch of salt and black pepper and add a splash of stock
- Cook until the stock is absorbed, stirring occasionally, and repeat the process, adding another splash of stock every few minutes until the onions are caramelized, soft and golden brown
- While the onions are caramelizing, brown the Italian sausage
- Once the onions and Italian sausage are cooked, set them aside for now
- Make the béchamel by melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan, whisking in 2 tablespoons of flour and cooking the mixture for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly
- Slowly add 1/2 cup of whole milk while continuing to whisk, add a pinch of salt and black pepper and as soon as the béchamel thickens, remove from the heat
- To assemble the pizza, unroll the pizza dough onto a pizza pan or wide flat baking sheet
- Spread the béchamel thinly over the pizza dough leaving a 1/2” boarder around the outer edge
- Top the béchamel with 4 ounces of finely shredded mozzarella
- Add the caramelized onions and browned Italian sausage
- Bake the pizza for 8 minutes and then transfer it back onto a heat proof surface leaving the oven set to 425 degrees
- Use a large spoon to form four nests in the toppings and crack the eggs into those nests
- Season the eggs with a pinch of salt and black pepper and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the pizza
- Bake the pizza for 8-12 minutes at 425 degrees depending on how you prefer your eggs to be set
- Once the pizza is baked, transfer it onto a heat proof surface
- Top with fresh arugula and some crushed red pepper flakes (optional) and slice into wedges
- Serve immediately with fresh fruit
