Let’s all be honest with ourselves, none of us really need an excuse to eat pizza for breakfast. I mean, sure it helps to have a justifiable reason, but I’ll be the first to eat cold leftover pizza the next morning, straight from the fridge. There’s just something about it that makes me very happy. Sometimes I feel like I look forward to it more than the actual hot pizza the day of. I know that proper breakfast pizza (with bacon and eggs) is a thing and has been around for a while now, but I wanted to switch up the concept of breakfast pizza and give it a modern twist. These Individual Shakshuka Breakfast Pizzas are that perfect grown up breakfast or brunch pizza with none of the guilt but all of the flavor. If you’re a fan of shakshuka, then you’ll be an even bigger fan of shakshuka pizza, I promise.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over moderate heat. Once hot, add in the onion and red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 15 minutes.
**Note: You don’t want to rush this step because you’re not looking to caramelize the onions and peppers over high heat. We’re just looking to soften them and develop their sweet flavor over moderate heat. Make sure to stir often so as to not let them burn.**
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and use the back of a spoon to break to tomatoes down.
**Tip: You can also just squish the tomatoes in your hands as you’re adding them to the skillet. This is faster than breaking them up with the spoon. I just find that method a bit messier because the juices squeeze out sometimes and makes a mess.**
Season with salt and pepper; simmer until the tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more salt or pepper if needed. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, place on a lightly floured work surface. Use your hands to pull and stretch the dough to about 6 to 8 inches. Dust a pizza peel with flour and place the rolled dough on. Top with a quarter of the tomato mixture and spread out evenly, leaving a 1-inch border along the sides for the crust.
**Tip: You can make your own pizza dough from scratch if you have the time. Normally I’m all for that, but I wanted this to be as easy and painless as possible so I just grabbed some from the store. Most grocery stores these days have fresh pizza dough in bags. I get two and cut each in half so that I get four individual personal pizzas!**
Make a well in the center and carefully crack an egg. Top with a few crumbles of feta and brush the crust lightly with the remaining oil. Sprinkle the edges with sesame seeds.
Carefully transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone (preheated for at least 30 minutes at 425°F) and cook until golden brown around the edges and the egg white has set, about 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pizzas. Depending on the size of your pizza stone, you can probably cook two at a time.
**Tip: If you don’t have a pizza stone, alternately, you can place two pizzas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook them all at once (on two baking sheets) in a preheated 425°F oven for 18 to 20 minutes.**
I cooked mine two at a time on my pizza stone. I have this rectangular pizza stone and so two fit perfectly. You can place the first two on a wire rack, set over a baking sheet to prevent them from getting soggy. Pop them back in the oven just as the next two are almost done to rewarm slightly.
Once all the pizzas are done, allow to cool slightly before serving. Garish with more crumbled feta on top, salt and pepper on the egg, fresh cilantro leaves and hot sauce. It’s SO good.
If you’re trying to incorporate more vegetarian-friendly meals into your weekly meal plan, like I am, then this one is the recipe for you. It’s hearty and flavorful without feeling heavy and fattening. I mean sure it’s a pizza, but it’s not the typical cheesy fatty pizza we’re used to. Don’t get me wrong, I love cheesy and fatty, but sometimes I want something a bit lighter. This pizza fits the bill. Let me know what you think below. Stay safe out there my friends!
Individual Shakshuka Breakfast Pizzas
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes with their juices
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 store-bought pizza doughs cut in half
- 4 large eggs
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
- Chopped cilantro for serving
- Hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a pizza stone in the middle rack of your oven at 475°F. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can just preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over moderate heat. Once hot, add in the onion and red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and use the back of a spoon to break to tomatoes down. Season with salt and pepper; simmer until the tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more salt or pepper if needed. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, place on a lightly floured work surface. Use your hands to pull and stretch the dough to about 6 to 8 inches. Dust a pizza peel with flour and place the rolled dough on. Top with a quarter of the tomato mixture and spread out evenly, leaving a 1-inch border along the sides for the crust. Make a well in the center and carefully crack an egg. Top with a few crumbles of feta and brush the crust lightly with the remaining oil. Sprinkle the edges with sesame seeds. Carefully transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone and cook until golden brown around the edges and the egg white has set, about 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pizzas. Depending on the size of your pizza stone, you can probably cook two at a time. Alternately, you can place two pizzas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook them all at once in the hot oven on the trays for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Once pizzas are done, allow to cool slightly before serving. Garish with more crumbled feta, salt and pepper on the egg, fresh cilantro leaves and hot sauce. Enjoy!
great alt breakfast dish, at least for me, have never made anything like this before, so creative, so thank you!