32 FEBRUARY 2021
HANDBOOKWHETHER THEY’RE cooking in a restaurant, in a food truck, or at home,
chefs dream up the most delicious and exciting ways to transform
everyday dishes into the next big thing. This month, I took a page from
the menus of top chefs around the country to bring you five of my new
favorite breakfast recipes, including sourdough pancakes inspired by my
friend Stephanie Izard, crispy cheese breakfast burritos, and these pizzas.
Whether you’re in the mood for savory or sweet, these flavor-packed
dishes will help you start your day off on the right foot. —JUSTIN CHAPPLE
Breakfast of Champions Rise and
shine with easy chef-inspired recipes.
MAD GENIUS TIPS
Smoky Breakfast Pizzas
ACTIVE 45 MIN; TOTAL 55 MIN
SERVES 4
Chef Justin Bazdarich makes his Kind
Brother pizza at Speedy Romeo in Brook-
lyn extra decadent with a combination of
béchamel and smoked mozzarella. This
easy version also gets a kick from smoked
mozzarella, plus a drizzle of fresh basil oil
for a pop of freshness.
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
leaves (about^1 / 2 oz.)
1 / 4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive
oil, plus more for greasing pans
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 lb. fresh prepared pizza dough or
store-bought pizza dough, cut
evenly into 4 pieces, at room
temperature
All-purpose flour, for dusting
6 oz. smoked mozzarella cheese,
shredded (about 1^1 / 2 cups)
2 oz. pecorino Romano cheese,
grated (about^1 / 2 cup)
1 / 2 cup thinly sliced fresh mixed wild
mushrooms
Crushed red pepper, to taste
4 large eggs
- Process basil, oil, and garlic in a food
processor until smooth, about 25 sec-
onds. Transfer to a small bowl; season
with salt and black pepper to taste. - Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in
upper third and lower third positions.
Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with oil.
Dust 1 dough piece with flour, and place
on a lightly floured work surface; stretch
into a 7-inch circle. Transfer to prepared
pan. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. - Sprinkle dough circles evenly with moz-
zarella, pecorino, and mushrooms, leav-
ing a^1 / 2 -inch border for the crust. Sprinkle
pizzas with salt, black pepper, and
crushed red pepper to taste. Bake in pre-
heated oven until crusts are puffed and
starting to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. - Remove pizzas from oven. Using the
back of a spoon, make a small well in cen-
ter of each pizza. Crack 1 egg into each
well. Return pizzas to oven, rotating pans
between top and bottom racks from pre-
vious bake. Bake at 450°F until egg whites
are set but yolks are still runny, 5 to 7 min-
utes. Serve with basil oil.
WINE Lightly fruity Italian sparkling wine:
NV La Marca Prosecco
Store-bought dough
makes these individual
breakfast pizzas speedy;
be sure to rotate the pans
after topping with the
eggs to ensure even
crispness.
photography by GREG DUPREE
FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY