This BLT cast-iron breakfast pizza starts with a homemade dough sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning, is slathered in pesto, and topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, and fresh greens.
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I’m normally not one who eats pizza for breakfast. In fact, typically I don’t eat breakfast at all. There are those days though; days that I wake up ravenous and want a good, hearty breakfast.
Yesterday was one of those days.
I’d been dreaming up this breakfast BLT pizza ever since my SO mentioned Casey’s breakfast pizza. I’d never had breakfast pizza, so I did a quick search to see what it was all about. To my dismay, the recipe options were pretty uninspired and for the most part unappealing.
I knew then that creating a breakfast pizza recipe was written in the stars and no doubt, I could come up with something more appetizing than some scrambled eggs and sausage atop the crust.
OK, sorry guys. My inner food snob may have gotten a little carried away there. If you like that sort of breakfast pizza it’s all good. BUT I’d like to share with you the amazingness of this breakfast pizza.
So a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to the idea of cooking a pizza directly in a cast-iron skillet. *Mind blown* I knew then that my breakfast pizza would have to be cooked in this manner.
Last weekend I developed a dough recipe and tested it out. My first attempt was surprisingly spot-on! So when I woke up starving yesterday, I figured why not go ahead and concoct this breakfast BLT pizza. I’m so glad I did.
It’s pretty rich and heavy, so it may be better suited for brunch. Truth be told when I say breakfast it really means brunch anyway. Eating right after I wake up has never sat well with me.
It is also super filling, making it ideal for brunch. It’ll power you right through to dinner for sure.
It all begins with the dough. It is thick, dense, and chewy. Cooking it cast iron makes it nice and crispy on the bottom. Have I mentioned how much I love cast iron?
It’s sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning which is all the rage right now and for good reason. Then comes the pesto, because a tomato base just didn’t seem appropriate for this pizza.
It’s then topped with fresh mozzarella (because fresh is best), juicy tomatoes, thick-cut bacon, and eggs. After baking, throw on some fresh greens (because cooked lettuce is a no-go). Plus it really enlivens and balances out the heaviness of this dish.
Next time you’re hosting breakfast or brunch give this pizza a try. It will surely impress.
Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)
- Pizza dough: For the dough, you will need water, honey, olive oil, dry-active yeast, bread flour, and salt. I recommend making this dough or another homemade dough, because homemade is just so much better than store-bought, however, pre-packaged dough would work fine. Keep in mind that using an alternate dough may alter the cooking instructions/times. Also, I used bread flour, but all-purpose flour would be a fine substitute.
- Everything bagel seasoning: This is optional, but encouraged. It makes the crust extra flavorful and breakfast-y. I purchased everything bagel seasoning at TJ Maxx, but have seen it elsewhere. If you’re unable to find any at your favorite store, you can always purchase this one from Amazon or make it yourself. There are numerous recipes available online.
- Pesto: I purchased a jar, but you could use homemade (which I’m sure would be even better!)
- Fresh mozzarella
- Tomatoes: I recommend cherry and/or grape tomatoes for an extra pop of flavor as they are more concentrated.
- Bacon: A strongly advise thick-cut!
- Eggs: I used three eggs, but feel free to use more or less if you choose.
- Spring lettuce mix: Or your choice of greens.
- Lemon juice: To spruce up the greens and add some acidity.
- Olive oil: To coat the dough (for moisture, flavor, and to help the everything bagel seasoning stick) and for the greens.
- Black pepper: To season the greens.
How to make breakfast BLT cast-iron pizza (+ tips)
Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees.
To prepare the dough, fit your stand-up mixer with the dough hook or gather a mixing bowl and wooden spoon. Pour water (should feel like a nice warm bath), olive oil, and honey in the bowl. Stir in yeast. Allow the yeast to proof by resting for five minutes. At this point, there should be foam atop the water mixture. If not give it up to five more minutes. If it has still not proofed, you will need to repeat this step.
Whisk together flour and salt. Pour into the yeast mixture and mix on medium-low for six minutes. If preparing sans mixer, mix until combined with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes.
Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place bacon on a baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, raise the temperature to 450 degrees, and transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain excess grease. Slice bacon into pieces approximately 1/2-1-inch wide. Set aside.
Once the dough is finished rising, knead it several times in the bowl. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, transfer the dough, and begin pressing the dough out with your hands/fingers keeping the thickness as even as possible.
Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
Spread pesto on dough leaving approximately 1/2-inch uncovered around the edge.
Top with mozzarella, tomatoes, and bacon.
Crack and pour the contents of eggs, being careful not to puncture the yolk, onto the pizza.
Bake on the bottom oven rack for approximately 13 minutes or until the egg whites are no longer translucent and the crust is golden brown along the edges. While baking prepare greens by tossing spring mix, lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Remove pizza from the oven and top with greens. Serve warm.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container or wrap tightly in tin foil, plastic wrap, or bees wrap for up to four days.
If you make this BLT cast-iron breakfast pizza I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥
BLT Cast-Iron Breakfast Pizza
Breakfast BLT pizza baked in a cast-iron skillet. Dough made from scratch and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning, pesto base, and topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, and fresh greens.
Ingredients
Dough (see notes)
- 3/4 cup warm water (approximately 110-115 degrees)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon dry-active yeast
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
BLT Pizza
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1/4 teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
- 1 1/4 cup pesto
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1/2 cup halved grape and/or cherry tomatoes
- 3 eggs
- Black pepper
- 1 heaping cup spring lettuce mix
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a mixing bowl, add water, olive oil, and honey. Stir in dry-active yeast. Let sit for five minutes or until the top is foamy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together flour and salt.
- Once yeast has proofed, add flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed for six minutes. If you are not using a mixer, mix with a wooden spoon until combined, then knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes.
- Transfer dough ball to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 20 minutes.
- While dough is rising, bake bacon on a baking sheet for 15 minutes on bottom rack. Remove, raise oven temperature to 450 degrees, and transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain excess grease. Cut into pieces about 1/2-1-inch wide.
- Knead dough in the bowl 2-3 times. Transfer to greased 12-inch skillet.
- Use your hands/fingers to press dough out covering the bottom of the skillet. Try to keep the thickness as even as possible.
- Brush pizza dough with one tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
- Spread on pesto leaving approximately 1/2-inch uncovered around the edge.
- Top with mozzarella, tomatoes, and bacon.
- Crack and pour contents of three eggs onto the top.
- On bottom rack, bake pizza for approximately 13 minutes or until egg whites are no longer translucent and crust is golden brown around the edges.
- While pizza is baking, combine spring lettuce mix with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil, lemon juice, and a couple dashes of black pepper. Set aside.
- Remove pizza from oven, top with spring mix, and serve warm.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container or wrap tightly in tin foil, plastic wrap, or bees wrap for up to four days.
Notes
- Feel free to use your favorite pizza dough recipe or a pre-made dough purchased from the store if you prefer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2 slicesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 942Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 1504mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 33g
The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending various factors such as origin and freshness of ingredients.
