This sun-dried tomato pizza recipe is bold, bright, and flavorful. Pizza dough is topped with a sundried tomato spread, fresh mozzarella cheese, and sprinkled with fresh basil and lemon zest to round out the flavor. It’s incredibly delicious and ready to eat in under 30 minutes!
When it comes to tomatoes, I don’t discriminate. I love them all – small, big, red, yellow, orange, you name it. If you were to ask me as a child what my favorite fruit is, the answer was always tomatoes. I admit, I was a weird kid, but tomatoes are still my favorite.
As much as I love a good traditional tomato sauce, it gets old after a while. Sun-dried tomato spread is used as the base of this delicious pizza. It’s made using sun-dried tomatoes in oil with herbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil which adds a bold twist to this tomato-based pizza.
If you enjoy sun-dried tomatoes you will absolutely love this homemade pizza. It’s super easy to make and only uses a handful of ingredients. The perfect addition to Friday pizza night that will leave everyone wanting more!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Sun-dried Tomato Pizza
- A delicious alternative to your traditional tomato sauce pizza.
- This pizza is ready in under 30 minutes when using store-bought dough.
- Only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this sun-dried tomato pizza recipe.
Sun-dried Tomato Pizza Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this pizza with sun-dried tomatoes.
Pizza dough – I like to use a store-bought pizza dough ball for this recipe. These can usually be found at the grocery store as an 8oz ball of dough, perfect for making a 10-12 inch personal pizza. If you’re feeling ambitious, feel free to make and use your own dough.
Sun-dried Tomatoes – sun-dried tomatoes are the star ingredient in this recipe. Be sure to get the jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil with Italian herbs.
Garlic – fresh garlic is always best
Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil is my favorite but you can also use another neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil.
Fresh Mozzarella – this is widely sold in grocery stores. I get the big ball and cut in slices but they also come as a log.
Basil – fresh basil is a must for this pizza
Lemon Zest – a light sprinkle of lemon zest is used to brighten and enhance the flavors of the pizza.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza Step by Step:
Below is a list of visual instructions. Full instructions with the exact ingredients and measurements will be on the recipe card at the end of this post.
NOTE: This recipe is for one 10-12-inch pizza. If you plan on making a large pizza or multiple pizzas, double or triple the recipe.
Step 1– To make the sun-dried tomato pizza sauce, add sundried tomatoes, garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and oil to the bowl of a small food processor and run it for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until tomatoes and garlic are finely chopped. If the mixture looks dry, remove the mixture from the food processor and stir in another tablespoon of olive oil.
If you don’t have a food processor, this is also very easy to do by hand, just grab a cutting board and roughly chop your sun-dried tomatoes and mince your garlic. Add chopped sundried tomatoes, minced garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and oil to a small bowl and mix it together.
Step 2 – Cast Iron Skillet Instructions: preheat the oven to 500 degrees and add a little olive oil to the bottom of your skillet. Spread the oil evenly across the bottom and sides of the pan using a pastry brush or a paper towel. Using your fingertips, press and stretch the dough out into a flat circle.
Pizza Stone Instructions: place the pizza stone in the cold oven and then preheat to 500 degrees. Heat the stone in the oven for 30 minutes before placing the pizza on it. Meanwhile, stretch and roll your dough out into a flat circle on a heavily floured pizza peel using a rolling pin.
Step 3 – Spread the sundried tomato and oil mixture onto the dough.
Step 4 – Slice your fresh mozzarella cheese into discs evenly and place them on top of the pizza.
Step 5 – Cast Iron Skillet Instructions: place the assembled pizza into the oven for 10-13 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Pizza Stone Instructions: slide your assembled pizza off the pizza peel and directly onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake pizza for 10-13 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Step 6 – Remove pizza from the oven and top with freshly sliced basil and a light sprinkle of lemon zest.
Simple Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
I like to use store-bought pizza dough for this recipe, but if you’re feeling ambitious you can absolutely make the pizza dough yourself using this easy recipe.
Ingredients:
2 – 2.5 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Cup Warm Water (105 degrees)
1 Teaspoon Salt
Step 1 – Mix the water, sugar, and yeast together in a small bowl and let it rest undisturbed for about 5 minutes. At the end of 5 minutes, it should look foamy.
Step 2 – In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together 2 cups of flour and salt.
Step 3 – Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and knead the dough on low using your stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and a ball forms. The dough should only be slightly sticky, add more flour as needed.
Step 4 – Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape it into a ball. Place the dough ball into a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
Step 5 – Use the dough to make delicious homemade pizzas! If you want to store it for later use, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for up to two days. Let it come to room temperature before using.
Expert Tips
- If you like an extra crispy crust and are using a cast iron skillet to make this pizza, place your skillet on the stove over medium heat for a few minutes after taking your pizza out of the oven.
- If using a pizza stone be careful not to get excess oil on the stone as it can lead to a foul-smelling odor that’s hard to get rid of. I tried everything to get the smell out of my stone but ultimately ended up having to get rid of it.
- Don’t overdo it with the lemon zest, a super light sprinkle of lemon zest is all that’s needed to brighten up this delicious pizza.
- If you want to make this recipe even easier, feel free to use premade sun-dried tomato pesto in place of the homemade sun-dried tomato spread. Just be sure it’s a good one!
- Always top your pizza with basil after it comes out of the oven. This will give you the bright fresh flavor you’re looking for. If you put on the pizza while baking in the oven your basil will become crispy and lose a lot of flavor.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Once cooled, store your leftover sun-dried tomato pizza in a large ziplock bag or air-tight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating – There are a few ways you can reheat this sundried tomato pizza
- Airfryer – preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the crust is crispy and all the cheese is melted.
- Toaster Oven – Place your pizza on the toaster oven tray and toast for 3-5 minutes. Word to the wise, never place your pizza on the open grates, the grease from the pizza can land on the heating element and catch fire. I may or may not have learned this the hard way in my college days.
- Conventional Oven – Preheat your oven to 350 and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the pizza is heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Microwave – Heat your pizza for 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. This is my least favorite way to reheat my pizza it will completely lose its crispy texture however it will still taste good if you’re in a pinch.
Substitutions
- Make this pizza vegan by using vegan cheese in place of mozzarella and parmesan.
- Can’t find fresh mozzarella cheese? Although fresh mozzarella cheese tastes best, it can be substituted for a block of mozzarella cheese you can grate yourself or pre-grated cheese. If you’re feeling extra fancy you can also substitute the mozzarella cheese for burrata cheese.
- Fresh garlic has the best flavor, however, if you have to it can be substituted for jarred minced garlic. Keep in mind this does change the flavor. Garlic powder will not work in this recipe.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza Toppings
I like to keep my pizza with sun-dried tomatoes basic with just fresh basil and lemon zest, but if you’re looking to add more, try out some of the following toppings:
- Prosciutto
- Arugula
- Mushrooms
- Artichoke hearts
- Balsamic drizzle
- Red Onion
- Caramelized onions
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Goat Cheese
- Feta Cheese
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are using bagged dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, they must be rehydrated before use. To rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes for pizza, place them in a small bowl and cover with boiling water for about 5 minutes until soft. Be sure to add some Italian herbs to your sun-dried tomato spread if using them for this sun-dried tomato pizza recipe.
Yes, essentially sun-dried tomatoes are just dehydrated tomatoes. They are dehydrated by leaving them in the sun, in an oven, or in a dehydrator. Sun-dried tomatoes have a slightly tart and sweet flavor with a chewy texture after being dehydrated.
Unopened bags or jars of sun-dried tomatoes can be stored outside the refrigerator for 6 to 9 months but once opened they should always be stored in the refrigerator to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
If you make this sun-dried tomato pizza recipe be sure to leave a comment, give a rating, or share on Instagram! Don’t forget to tag me, I love looking through photos of the recipes you make!
Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pizza Dough Ball
- 1/3 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes in oil
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese grated
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 1 tbsp Oil from Sun-dried Tomatoes
- 1 Fresh Mozzarella Ball Sliced
- Fresh Basil for topping
- Sprinkle of Lemon Zest for topping
Instructions
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, and a tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to the bowl of a small food processor. Run the food processor for 5-10 seconds until finely chopped. Alternatively you can finely chop your tomatoes and garlic by hand.
- Add tomato mixture to a small bowl, mix in a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
Cast Iron Skillet Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and oil the bottom of your skillet. Using your fingertips, press and stretch the dough out into a flat circle.
- Spread the sun-dried tomato and oil mixture onto the dough.
- Slice your fresh mozzarella cheese into discs and place them on top of the pizza.
- Place the assembled pizza into the oven for 10-13 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove pizza from the oven and top with freshly sliced basil and a light sprinkle of lemon zest.
Pizza Stone Instructions
- Place the pizza stone in the cold oven and then preheat to 500 degrees. Heat the stone in the oven for 30 minutes before placing the pizza on it. Meanwhile, stretch and roll your dough out into a flat circle on a heavily floured pizza peel.
- Spread the sun-dried tomato and oil mixture onto the dough.
- Slice your fresh mozzarella cheese into discs evenly and place them on top of the pizza.
- Slide your assembled pizza off the pizza peel, directly onto the pizza stone in the oven. Cook for 10-13 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove pizza from the oven and top with freshly sliced basil and a light sprinkle of lemon zest.