Take out your finest china and light those candles, because it’s time to impress your company with Enchanted Rose Pizza! This culinary masterpiece starts with a rustic loaf of French bread–the same kind that Belle would find among the bread and rolls at the village boulangerie. What’s especially great about using French bread is its cloche-like shape, which becomes perfect for making pizza after being sliced in half. Topped with sauce, cheese, and a romantic pepperoni rose, your guests can choose exactly when the last petal falls–or in this case, when the last petal gets eaten! With this elegant entrée, you’re sure to earn their love in return!
Enchanted Rose Pizza
Ingredients
- ½ French bread loaf
- 6 large pieces of pepperoni, at room temperature
- ½ zucchini, cut lengthwise
- 2 Tbsp pizza sauce
- ½ cup mozzarella
- 1 large green olive
- 3 medium black olives
- 2-3 fresh basil leaves
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-
Cut the French bread loaf in half horizontally. Flip the bottom of the loaf over to reveal a cloche-like shape of bread. This will be the pizza crust.
-
Cut the pepperoni slices in half. Roll up one pepperoni half into a tight, cone-like shape. Roll this cone inside another half of pepperoni, then repeat this process with all the pepperoni halves to create a full pepperoni rose. To keep the rose intact, use toothpicks to pierce the base of the rose as you continue adding pepperoni petals to it. Keep the toothpicks in the completed rose and place it in a small bowl to preserve its shape. Set aside.
-
Using a sharp paring knife, cut out a rose stem from the piece of zucchini.
-
Cut a small circle of bread out from the top center of the “cloche” pizza crust. This will help to keep the rose in place after the pizza is baked. Spread the pizza sauce on the crust in a thin layer, then top evenly with the mozzarella. Bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove the pizza from the oven and set aside.
-
Trim a small slice off of each olive so that they don’t roll when placed on the pizza. Select basil leaves that resemble rose petals.
-
To finish, remove the toothpicks from the pepperoni rose, then place it in the space created in Step #5. Arrange the zucchini “stem,” basil “rose leaves,” and olive “cloche handles” in place to create an Enchanted Rose Pizza. Enjoy!
