Wake up on the bright side with this Breakfast Pizza w/ Squash Blossoms & Crispy Prosciutto

Since it opened last year, we’ve been obsessed with The Luggage Room in Pasadena; Greg says it’s his favorite pizza ever (a bold statement!). Their pizza is truly outstanding. They use an olive-wood burning oven that reaches super high temperatures to char the outside of their chewy sourdough crust. Their toppings are inspired by local produce, heavy on the Fresno chilis, fennel and arugula. Diners have the option to add a fresh egg to their pizza, a common topping in some regions of Italy.

They inspired me to make this breakfast pizza, and I can’t stop thinking about how good it was. The egg whites meld beautifully into the creamy Fontina cheese. A lot of flavor comes from my favorite replacement for bacon, oven-crisped prosciutto. I love the sunny pop of color from the egg yolk and the vivid green of the squash blossoms and fresh chives. My egg yolks did burst and run a bit over the crust… but we prefer a more well-done egg anyway. Make sure your eggs are room temperature to ensure proper cooking. And don’t try to put the egg on before you slide the pizza onto your stone; have them standing by in small cups and drop them on last minute.

Breakfast Pizza with Squash Blossoms & Crispy Prosciutto
Makes two individual pizzas

Ingredients
1 ball of pizza dough, divided in two
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
large pinch red pepper flakes
1 28-oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
12 leaves basil, chiffonade
16 squash blossoms, stamens removes, rinsed in cool water and dried on paper towels
8 oz Fontina cheese, coarsely grated
2 eggs, room temperature, set aside in individual cups (try to keep the yolk in tact)
3 thin slices prosciutto
3 tblsp chopped chives
salt and pepper
flour for dusting
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

1. At least two hours in advance, place the divided dough in a warm place to rise.

2. Make the sauce: heat minced garlic and red pepper flakes in 1 tblsp olive oil in a small sauce pan for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and sliced basil. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer over low heat while you prep the other ingredients.

3. Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Place another rack in the top third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the prosciutto slices on it. Place on the top rack of the oven and let it crisp for 10 minutes. Remove to paper towels and break it up into small pieces.

4. Raise the temperature of the oven to 500 degrees. On a large floured cutting board, roll out the two balls of dough into 12 inch discs. Put down a layer of tomato sauce, leaving a half-inch border. Cover with a layer of Fontina cheese. Arrange 8 squash blossoms on each pizza. (while you work, make sure the dough isn’t sticking to the board, dusting with more flour or cornmeal, and running a spatula underneath). Lightly brush the edges with olive oil. In a quick back-and-forth motion, shake the doughs onto the pizza stone in the oven. Pour a raw egg in the middle of each pizza and quickly close the oven. Bake until crust is crispy and brown, cheese is bubbly and egg is cooked to your liking, 7 to 10 minutes.

5. Remove to a cutting board and sprinkle with crispy prosciutto bits and chopped chives. Grate on some Parmesan cheese.