Olive Pizza

Here’s a pizza topping combination that’s stunningly simple and one of the best pies around. Try this Olive Pizza! The simpler the better with Italian cuisine, and we’ve found that with pizza, a few curated ingredients can make magic. Here a mix of briny green and black olives interplay with thin slivers of red onion, pops of salty capers, and gooey mozzarella cheese. It’s one dream pie for olive lovers! We couldn’t get enough of this pie: the flavor is surprisingly greater than the sum of its parts.

Ingredients for olive pizza

This olive pizza is perfect for lovers of this ingredient, but even the olive averse might be swayed by this pie. The olives used here are ripe olives, and their flavor is a burst of salty and savory. They’re less briny than a pimento-stuffed olive and not as strong as the super-salty Kalamata. We like a variety called Castelvetrano for the green olives, which has a milder flavor and buttery texture. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Best Pizza Dough Homemade Pizza Sauce Shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk if possible) Parmesan cheese Ripe green olives (like Castelvetrano) Ripe black olives Red onion Capers Dried oregano

What are Castelvetrano olives?

Castelvetrano olives are a green olive variety grown in Sicily with a signature rich, buttery flavor and crisp texture. They have a mild and fruity flavor, making them suitable for people who shy away from very strong and briny varieties. Unlike other olives, they’re not cured: they’re washed in lye and water for a few weeks until the bitter flavor is removed. There’s something about the buttery, mild flavor of Castelvetranos that’s unlike any other type. We’ve served these to people who claim not to like olives, only to have them park themselves in front of the bowl! They’re the perfect addition to this olive pizza.

Recipes for homemade pizza dough

The trick to the best olive pizza? Homemade pizza dough. Check out that photo: see that beautiful pillowy crust? This crust recipe works perfectly in a standard oven or pizza oven to make next-level, artisan style pies. Pick from these recipes:

Best Pizza Dough: The standard! This is our best oven pizza dough and works best on a pizza stone. Thin Crust Pizza Dough: It’s easy and you can roll it out instead of stretching it. Pizza Oven Dough: Got a pizza oven? This is the dough recipe for you. Alternatives: Try a Pan Pizza in a cast iron skillet, no special pizza tools required. Or, make our Best-Ever Sheet Pan Pizza for serving a crowd: it makes the equivalent of two pizzas in a sheet pan.

Pizza making tools

Great pizza requires a few tools. If you choose the standard or thin crust pizza recipes above, you’ll need a stone and peel. (Pizza ovens typically come with their own pizza peel that can withstand the high temperatures.) The pan pizza and sheet pan pizza above require no extra tools. :

Pizza stone: Baking on a pizza stones makes the crust crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Here’s the pizza stone we recommend. Pizza peel: A peel is a paddle used to slide a pie onto the hot stone in the oven. We recommend this standard pizza peel or this conveyor pizza peel, which makes transferring to the oven a breeze. Pizza oven (optional): An outdoor pizza oven makes next level pizza! We own and have experience with both the Ooni pizza oven and the ROCCBOX (the ROCCBOX is our preferred). We used a pizza oven to get the charred crust you see in the photos.

Olive pizza variations

There are lots more ways to make an olive pizza! Here are a few topping ideas you might also enjoy that go well with the flavor profile:

Kalamata olives instead of green and black olives (use less since they have a stronger, saltier flavor) Feta cheese (but keep it light to balance the salty olives) Goat cheese or ricotta cheese, in dollops Sausage crumbles Prosciutto Hot honey Spinach, frozen and thawed (see this Spinach Pizza) Jarred roasted red pepper, cut into strips Fresh herbs like chives, oregano, thyme, or basil

More pizza recipes

Want more? From dough to sauce to topping ideas, we’ve got everything you need to make incredible pizza pies at home. Here are a few ideas:

Go simple with Margherita Pizza or Cheese Pizza Get funky with Taco Pizza or Pickle Pizza Try a Seafood Pizza or Broccoli 3 Cheese Pizza Grab White Pizza, Red Pepper Pizza, or Greek Pizza Go for Olive Pizza, Quattro Formaggi Pizza, or Gluten Free Pizza Starting the day? Make a Breakfast Pizza