A Passion for Pizza: Deborah Madison's White Pizza with Sage

Top chefs share their favorite “pie” recipes and a dash of inspiration.

June/July 2008
By Lindsey Shockley 
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A slice of heaven, a slice of life, the ultimate comfort food. Call it what you will, pizza is loved by everyone … and why not? It’s the perfect food: baked dough, tomatoes (usually), cheese and herbs. Starting with these basics, anyone can become a pizzaiolo for a day, adding ingredients to suit her or his fancy, or to feature whatever is best in the garden or market.

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To help fire up your pizza-making creativity, we’ve gathered recipes from five of America’s top chefs—authors, restaurateurs and television hosts. Pizza makers often debate the finer points of their art—such as whether to make a deep dish or thin-crust pie; whether to use baking stones or pans; or whether to bake in a wood-fired or coal-heated oven. But all agree on this: The key to making great pizza is to use the freshest ingredients you can find.

Deborah Madison's White Pizza with Sage
Makes one 12-inch pizza

To make a delicious bruschetta, simply substitute crispy Italian bread for the pizza dough.

  • Pizza dough 
  • Two 4-ounce balls fresh mozzarella
  • Olive oil
  • 15 to 20 sage leaves
  • Chunk of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Sea salt
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Thinly slice mozzarella and set it on paper towels to dry.
  2. Roll or pat dough into a 12- to 13-inch circle, keeping it a little thicker at the edge. If using a baking stone, generously dust a peel (large, wide metal spatula used for baking) with cornmeal and lay dough over it. Otherwise, lay dough on a sheet pan or pizza pan.
  3. Lay mozzarella over dough, drizzle with a little oil and bake 7 minutes.
  4. Remove pizza from oven, add sage leaves and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, or until crust is golden.
  5. Remove pizza from oven, grate Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top, and season with red pepper and salt. Paint edge of crust with additional oil. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Click here for the original article, A Passion for Pizza. 
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