Kale and Basil Pesto Pizza is one of our favorite pizza dinners. I start these pizzas by making an easy bread machine dough. But I’ve also attached my hand-kneaded dough to this post. Then, I top the pizzas with my homemade Kale and Basil Pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, and heirloom tomatoes. We like this pizza for several reasons. First of all, I like that I can make the components of this pizza dinner ahead of time. I like to make the dough either the night before or early in the morning and then roll it out right before dinner. Secondly, I like that this pizza is relatively inexpensive to prepare. And, lastly, we all love the crispy crust, the melty mozzarella, and the zesty kale and basil pesto.

The Equipment I Used

• A Food Processor- You’ll need this, or a blender, to make the pesto.
• Pizza Stones and Pizza Peels- I recommend using these to make the pizzas. But you could also bake them on baking sheets.
• A Bread Machine- I use a bread machine to make my dough. But I’ve attached my recipe for hand-kneaded pizza dough.
• A Food Scale- For perfect pizza results, be sure to weigh your flour.

The Ingredients Needed for Kale and Basil Pesto Pizza

• Flour- Use all-purpose flour. I always use flour from King Arthur brand flour.
• Yeast- Use active dry yeast, not instant or quick acting yeast.
• Kale- I used baby kale. Be sure to remove the stems.
• Pine Nuts- Store any extra pine nuts in the freezer. If you don’t want to buy pine nuts, you can also use walnuts.
• Mozzarella Cheese- Use fresh mozzarella cheese.

How I Made my Pizzas

• First, I made my pizza dough. Take care to measure all the ingredients carefully.
• Then, I made the pesto.
• Finally, I added all the toppings and baked the pizzas.

If you like pizza, you need to try this cheesy and delicious Kale and Basil Pesto Pizza.

Kale and Basil Pesto Pizza

Two pizzas topped with fresh mozzarella, kale and basil pesto, and heirloom tomatoes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

rising time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 pizzas

Calories 300 kcal

Equipment

• Bread Machine
• 2 Pizza Stones
• 2 Pizza Peels
• Food processor

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Bread Machine Pizza Dough:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups all purpose flour (360g)
• 1 tsp. each honey and salt
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast

For The Kale and Basil Pesto Sauce:

• 1 cup baby kale leaves, stems removed
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. pine nuts
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper

For the Pizza Toppings:

• 3½ cups fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced, and divided
• 4 red and yellow heirloom tomatoes

For the Garnishes:

• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. pine nuts

Instructions

 

• Begin by making the pizza dough: Add all the ingredients to your bread machine, in the order suggested by the manufacturer of your bread machine. Select the dough cycle and press start.
• While the dough is rising, make the kale and basil pesto: Add all the ingredients to the food processor, except the oil. Pulse until everything is ground up. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil. Process until the pesto is fully combined.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, with two pizza stones inside of it.
• When the dough cycle is done, dump the dough on to a floured board and divide in half. Press or roll the dough in to two twelve- inch circles, right on two parchment covered pizza peels. Brush them with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for thirty minutes. Top the dough rounds with about two thirds of the pesto sauce and the three cups of the mozzarella cheese.
• Using the pizza peels, slide the parchment and pizzas onto the pizza stones. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pizzas and top them with the tomatoes and a half cup more mozzarella. Bake for five minutes.
• Garnish the pizzas with the pine nuts, the rest of the pesto, the Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

Keyword meatless

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Hand Kneaded Pizza Dough

Pizza dough mixed with a wooden spoon and kneaded by hand.

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Prep Time 13 minutes mins

Rising Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 43 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 pizzas

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

 

• In a measuring cup, stir together the water and honey. Stir in the yeast. Let this mixture sit for five minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the bread flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the oil, and stir until it's all combined. Dump it on to a floured board, and knead it for 8 minutes.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and turn the dough until it's all covered in oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place for one hour.
• Divide the dough in half and roll into two circles. Place on two pizza pans, or pizza peels. Brush with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for thirty minutes.

Keyword bread

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!