Pickled Blueberry and Camembert Pizza

We took the best elements of a cheese board — fruit, pickles and cheese, all complex in flavour — and combined them on a pizza for an effect that’s sweet, sour, creamy and a bit funky. It works year-round, of course, but it’s extra special when summer berries are at their best. The fresher the blueberries, the better the slice.

Pickled blueberries (added pre- or post-bake) and lemon zest make for a sweet zing that’s complemented by the creamy Camembert and nutty Gruyère. Other berries would work well in this application (try raspberries or blackberries when they’re in season) but there’s just something about the plumpness of the blueberries that provides for that extra textural contrast. While this pizza is mostly about assembling quality ingredients, it does require a bit of forethought: You’ll have to make the pickled blueberries two days in advance so they have time to brine.

Excellent for an afternoon picnic in the back garden or boxed up to cart to the park or beach, we recommend pairing this pizza with a bottle of sparkling white wine and good friends.

This recipe features pickled blueberries, part of our Garnish of the Month series.

Difficulty

Servings

four 12” pizzas

Cook Time

20 minutes

By

Pickled Blueberry and Camembert Pizza

1: This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think our Classic Pizza Dough would be a great fit.

Make sure to prepare your dough ahead of time to ensure it rises at room temperature before preheating your oven.

2: Fire up your oven.

Aim for 400-450°C (750-850°F) on the baking stone inside. (Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the middle of the stone.)

3: Stretch your dough on a lightly floured surface.

Push the air from the center out toward the crust, then use your knuckles to stretch out the base to 12 inches.

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4: Top the pizza with a quarter each of the Camembert and Gruyère, tearing the cheese into pieces and distributing evenly across the dough.

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5: Sprinkle on a few pinches of thyme, then top with a quarter of the pickled blueberries, strained from their syrup.

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6: Slide the pizza off the peel and into the oven.

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7: Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, using a peel to turn the pizza every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake.

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8: Remove from the oven and top with the zest of half a Meyer lemon.

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9: Slice and enjoy.

Repeat for the remaining three pizzas.

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  • 4 x 250-gram dough balls
  • 7 ounces (200 grams) Camembert cheese
  • 6 ounces (160 grams) Gruyère cheese
  • 3 tablespoons (10 grams) fresh thyme
  • ½ cup (100 grams) pickled blueberries
  • zest of two Meyer lemons