On Deck: Reinventing the Cheese Pizza

Published: May 29, 2025

Back at it after another amazing Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. It was so great to see my whole pizza family! Along with seeing a lot of familiar faces and meeting some new ones, I had the honor to meet Franco Pepe. He was gracious enough to stop for a minute and take a picture with me.  As I always say, I try to hang around really talented people and hope some rubs off on me.  After meeting him, I – like most of you – watched his Chef’s Table episode again, and was blown away again by his restraint, dedication, production and overall being. Think about what he did with his margherita sbagliata. Try … No, I am actually daring you to “reinvent” a cheese pizza. Try to update it, make it your own.  This is my version. Simple, delicious, and I cannot wait to share it with you.

Chris Decker is Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner at Truly Pizza, in Dana Point, California. @everythingbutanchovies on Instagram.

For the tomato sauce:

On Deck: Reinventing the Cheese Pizza TOMATO SAUCE
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of cherry or heirloom tomatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • Squeeze of olive oil
Instructions
  1. Add ingredients to a baking sheet and bake at 450 F for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
  2. Add roasted tomato and garlic cloves to a bowl and, using an immersion blender, blend to make a smooth sauce.
  3. Taste, add salt and pepper to your liking and set aside.

 

For the burrata cream:

On Deck: Reinventing the Cheese Pizza BURRATA CREAM
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 3-4-ounce ball of burrata
  • 3-4 ounces of heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Add to a bowl and, using an immersion blender, blend 1-2 minutes until smooth.
  2. Set aside.

 

For the fried basil:

On Deck: Reinventing the Cheese Pizza FRIED BASIL
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 8-9 fresh whole basil leaves
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium-high heat until it reaches 300-350 F.
  2. Carefully add your basil to the oil. It will pop, so pay attention.
  3. After 5 seconds, use tongs to flip the basil leaves over and continue cooking for 5 seconds.
  4. Using tongs, remove basil from oil and set on a paper towel to cool. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over basil.

 

For the pizza:

On Deck: Reinventing the Cheese Pizza
Author: 
Recipe type: Pizza
 
Ingredients
  • 1 10-12-ounce dough ball
  • 4 ounces roasted fresh tomato sauce (Recipe above)
  • 2 ounces smoked mozzarella
  • 1 ounce burrata cream cheese (Recipe above)
  • 2 ounces whole milk mozzarella
  • Fried basil (Recipe above)
  • 1 ounce fresh mozzarella
  • Olive oil
Instructions
  1. Stretch dough ball to desired size and top with smoked mozzarella, whole milk mozzarella and fresh mozzarella.
  2. Slide pizza into a 550 F oven for 8-10 minutes or desired doneness.
  3. When pizza is finished cooking, let cool on a cooling rack while you fill piping bags with sauce and burrata cream.
  4. Cut tips of piping bags and carefully apply sauce in stripes over pizza.
  5. Drizzle burrata cream and top with fried basil.

 

Check out more pizza recipes.

 

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