Taleggio Mushroom Pizza

The most good and cheesy Mushroom Pizza made with homemade pizza dough tomato sauce, melted mozzarella and tangy Taleggio cheese. If you're a fan of mushrooms this recipe is a must on you're next pizza night!

Mushrooms on pizza are good! Some of our favourite ways to use them are adding them to a Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) or a classic Capriciosa.

But recently we've been making our mushroom pizza with one of the most good Italian cheeses…Taleggio! It's rich and tangy, melts beautifully and keeps its flavour when melted which is important!

Cooking the mushrooms first with garlic, thyme and a little salt completely amps up the flavour so don't skip that step!

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make our mushroom pizza recipe plus some notes on ingredients!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Homemade pizza dough – this is our basic recipe for making pizzas at home. It's easy and good! The dough will make enough for 2 large tray pizzas or 4 10-12 inch round ones.
• Mushrooms – Crimini mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms UK) work best for this recipe.
• Thyme – use fresh thyme, not dried. if you can't find it then a little dried oregano would be a good alternative.
• Tomato passata – known as tomato puree in the US, it's great for using as pizza sauce. You can use it straight from the jar as it is or mix it with a little salt and olive oil which we often do.

Step by step photos and instructions

Preparation tips!

• Pre-heat your oven to the highest setting it will go. You want an extra hot oven to bake pizzas.
• Prep the baking tray you are using by sprinkling it with a little semolina (cornmeal) or flour. This stops it from sticking and gives it a nice crispy base.
• Since we're using fresh mozzarella you'll want to drain it from the packet and dab it with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture before using.

Saute the mushrooms – first, you want to saute the mushrooms and thyme until a lot of the moisture has evaporated from the mushrooms (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for another minute or 2 then set the mushrooms aside (photos 1 & 2).

Shape the dough – next shape the dough to fit your baking tray. You can do this by hand carefully stretching the dough into shape. Place it on the baking tray, and sprinkle a little flour or semolina on it first. (photos 4 & 5).

Season the passata sauce – Passata (tomato puree US) is great for pizzas. We like to add a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil to give it a little extra flavour but you can use it as it is (photo 6).

Add toppings – spread the passata over the pizza then top with fresh mozzarella, mushrooms and taleggio cheese. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Recipe tips

• Homemade pizza dough – this recipe uses 1 ball of homemade pizza dough which is half a batch. We recommend making the full batch and either freezing the second ball if you don't plan on using it or make a second pizza from our pizza recipe collection.
• Cook the mushrooms first – cooking the mushrooms before adding to the pizza adds so much flavour. If you put them on raw they'll dry out and don't taste nearly as good.

Kitchen questions

What kind of mushrooms can we use?

You can pretty much use any fresh mushrooms you like on your pizza. We like to use crimini mushrooms (chestnut UK) but shiitake mushrooms, chanterelles, portobello and even regular white button mushrooms will work. saute them first for extra flavour. Always use fresh mushrooms and not canned ones.

What can we use instead of Taleggio?

If you can't find Taleggio cheese then Gorgonzola is a good alternative. You can also use Fontina cheese, Gruyere or even goat's cheese.

What can we do with leftovers?

Leftover pizza can be eaten cold or reheated until hot in the oven. Leftovers will keep well for 1-2 days.

More good pizza recipes to try

Pizza

Nduja Pizza with Burrata, Parmesan and Basil

Pizza

Anchovy Pizza with Capers (Pizza Napoli)

Pizza

Sicilian Pizza (Lo Sfincione)

Pizza

Focaccia Pizza

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings (1 large pizza)

• 1 ball homemade pizza dough ((see note 1))
• Flour or semolina (cornmeal) (for dusting)
• 4 cups crimini mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms UK) (sliced (200g/7oz))
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅓ cup tomato passata (tomato puree US (85g))
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella ((125g/4.4oz))
• ¾ cup Taleggio cheese (cut into cubes (100g/3.5oz))
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt

Method

1. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and thyme and saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until a lot of the moisture has evaporated. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Season with salt then turn off the heat and set aside.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 535F (280C) or the highest your oven will go.

3. Dust a clean work surface with a little flour. Cut the dough in half and roll out the dough to fit your pizza tray.

4. Sprinkle your tray with a little semolina, cornmeal or flour and place the dough on top (this stops it from sticking and gives a crispy base).

5. Add the oregano, a pinch of salt and about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to the passata and stir to combine. Spread the tomato passata on top of the dough then top with the mozzarella followed by the cooked mushrooms and taleggio cheese.

6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is light golden brown and the cheese has melted. Let the pizza sit for a couple of minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Kitchen notes

1. Homemade pizza dough this recipe uses 1 ball of homemade pizza dough which is half a batch. We recommend making the full batch and either freezing the second ball if you don't plan on using it or make a second pizza from our pizza recipe collection.
2. Cook the mushrooms first cooking the mushrooms before adding to the pizza adds so much flavour. If you put them on raw they'll dry out and don't taste nearly as good.
3. Total time does not include making the dough.