Roast Garlic Marinara Pizza
We’re always looking for ways to take simple, classic ingredients and elevate them into something special. This roast garlic marinara pizza is our homage to minimalism done right. Bold in flavour, rustic in feel, and deeply satisfying.
This bake starts with a bright and vibrant layer of Neapolitan style tomato sauce, spread generously across a cold-fermented dough base. We’ve added whole cloves of roasted garlic; creamy, mellow, and caramelised to perfection. These little golden impart flavour and aroma into the tomato base as it bakes, infusing every bite with sweet, savoury depth.
A generous sprinkle of dried oregano adds that nostalgic pizzeria aroma, while a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before baking helps bring all the elements together. Once out of the oven, we finish with a scattering of finely chopped chives for a bit of bite and colour.
This is a garlic lover’s dream. Rich, fragrant, and utterly moreish. Proof that less really can be more.
Roast Garlic Marinara Pizza
Equipment
- Outdoor Pizza Oven, Pizza Steel, or Stone (if using a home oven)
- 1 Pizza Peel
- 1 sauce ladle
- Baking tray (for the roast garlic)
- 1 wooden chopping board or peel for prep and serving
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough ball
- 1 ½ – 2 ladle of pizza sauce
- 2 whole garlic heads
- Dried oregano
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh chives
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Follow any of our dough recipes. For this particular bake, we used our cold fermentation dough recipe, opting for a 72 hour fermentation period.You will need to prepare the dough at least 24 hours ahead of time.
- Prepare Roasted Garlic:Preheat oven to 205°C (400°F).Peel away the loose outer layers of a whole garlic bulb, leaving the individual clove skins intact.Slice off the top ¼–½ inch of the bulb to expose the tops of the cloves.Place the bulb cut-side up in a small baking dish.Drizzle generously with olive oil and rub it over the exposed cloves.Cover with foil or wrap in baking paper.Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the cloves are soft, golden, and caramelised.Let cool, then gently squeeze the cloves from their skins. Set aside.
- Prepare Sauce: We recommend our standard pizza sauce which is versatile, simple to make and is perfect for Neapolitan style pizzas. Spice up this sauce however you like, remember the best part about making pizza is the creative process!
- Prepare Chives: Roughly chop the fresh chives. Set aside.
- Preheat Oven:Outdoor Pizza Oven: If using an outdoor pizza like an Ooni pizza oven, aim for a temperature of 450-500°C at the center of your pizza stone. Use an infrared thermometer to ensure accuracy. It should take around 25-30 minutes to reach temperature.Home Oven: Place pizza steel or stone inside the oven and preheat to the highest temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare Base: On a lightly floured surface, stretch out the dough by hand according to the steps outlined in our dough recipe.Once you're happy with the shape of the base, lightly dust your pizza peel and transfer the dough onto the peel.
- Assemble Pizza: Spread a ladle of sauce onto the dough in a circular motion, starting from the center and working outwards. Sprinkle a generous pinch of dried oregano over the sauce. Distribute roasted garlic cloves across the sauce. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.
- Bake Your Pizza:Outdoor Pizza Oven: Launch the pizza into the oven and bake for 60-90 seconds. Keep an eye on the pie and rotate every 10-15 seconds to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning.Home Oven: Launch pizza onto a pizza steel or stone, the bake time should be around 7-10 minutes.
- Serving: Once the pizza is done, remove from the oven and place on a serving board. Garnish with freshly chopped fresh chives. Slice and enjoy your rich, fragrant roast garlic marinara pizza!
