This blue cheese pizza, with savory mushrooms, and the gentle sweetness of caramelized leeks, gives this homemade pizza the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Easy to make with store-bought or homemade pizza dough, this blue cheese pizza with mushrooms and leeks is not your standard pizza or stromboli with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni; it's a notch above, and one might even say a little fancy!
I've chosen a very mild and creamy blue cheese for this recipe. Nothing that will scare you away, but a good beginner-friendly blue cheese that will make you appreciate pizza in a whole new delicious way.
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Ingredients & Substitutions for Blue Cheese Pizza
Notes & Substitutions for Key Ingredients
Pizza Dough: Store-bought or homemade pizza dough will work in this recipe, and you'll need one pound.
Mushrooms: Most mushrooms will taste great on this blue cheese pizza. If you're using shiitake mushrooms, discard the stalks as they are tough.
Leeks: If you decide to use onions instead of leeks, I'd recommend red onions. They cook down nicely, and their sweetness pairs well with blue cheese.
Blue Cheese: The star of the show! Blue cheese is an umbrella term that encompasses all blue cheeses, like Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton etc...I used a French blue cheese called Saint Agur. It is made with pasteurized cow's milk and is very creamy, smooth, and spreadable. Substitute with a mild Gorgonzola cheese which is similar in creaminess and texture.
What's the Difference Between Gorgonzola, Roquefort and Stilton?
Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese that is mellow and creamy.
There are two types of Gorgonzola: dolce, which is soft, creamy, mild, and slightly sweet. Then we have picante, which is firmer and sharper.
Gorgonzola is well-suited for pasta sauces, pizza, gnocchi, or risotto.
Roquefort is a French blue cheese made from unpasteurized sheep's milk. It has a very sharp tang, is a little crumbly, and has that funky aroma you may associate with blue cheese.
If you're new to blue cheese, Roquefort is not for the uninitiated unless you're a foodie at heart!
Try it on salads or in sauces when you want a bold, loud blue cheese.
Stilton is an English blue cheese made from cow's milk. It is crumbly yet creamy. It is rich but not with the aggressive bite of a Roquefort.
It's great to include as part of a cheeseboard and pairs well with fruit like figs or pears, and even goes nicely with a glass of port.
How to Make Blue Cheese Pizza with Mushrooms and Leeks
Make the Dough
Make my same-day pizza dough, or have your store-bought dough ready to go.
Stretch the Dough
Lightly oil your 12-inch pizza pan, and stretch the dough onto it. Or pull the dough onto a pizza stone (I don't preheat my pizza stone). If it resists, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before continuing.
Heat the Oven
Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, and heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook Leeks & Mushrooms
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 6-8 minutes; it's okay if they brown slightly, this will bring out their natural sweetness. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, about 7 minutes, then let most of it evaporate. Stir in the mustard, season with salt and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Assemble the Pizza
Spread the mushroom-leek mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 ½-inch border. Sprinkle the blue cheese evenly over the top still keeping the border clean. Fold the outer edge inward over the filling, like a homemade version of a stuffed-crust pizza.
Brush with Cream
Brush the folded edge with cream.
Bake & Enjoy
Bake for 15-18 minutes if you're using a metal pizza pan, or 20-25 minutes if you're using a cold pizza stone, or until the bottom and sides are golden brown. A good gauge is to look at the middle of the pizza; when it starts to bubble, it's done. Optional: dot the pizza with more blue cheese, serve and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Brushing the folded edges of the pizza dough with cream keeps the crust tender and slightly glossy.
Blue Cheese Pizza Variations
- blue cheese + pears + walnuts + honey
- blue cheese + caramelized onions + arugula
- blue cheese + fig jam + prosciutto
- blue cheese + caramelized red onions + artichoke hearts
These are winning combinations. You have the salitness from the cheese, which pairs so perfectly with a bit of sweetness. Use your imagination because the sky is the limit!
Make Ahead & Storage
⭐️ Make Ahead
You can make my same-day pizza dough early in the day and refrigerate it. It will begin a slow rise. When you're ready to move forward, take the dough out of the fridge and keep it at room temperature until it doubles in size, then proceed with the recipe.
⭐️ How to Store
🧊 In the refrigerator: Cool leftovers, and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat pizza in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, or in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes.
❄️ In the Freezer: Let the pizza cool, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat the pizza from frozen at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
FAQ
Blue cheese is made with edible mold cultures that create blue-green veins throughout the cheese. Flavors range from mild and creamy to bold, salty, and sharp, with textures that vary from soft and spreadable to firm and crumbly. The cheese is aged in a controlled environment, allowing the mold to develop its signature flavor and aroma.
I ♥️ Hearing from You
If you enjoy this recipe, let me know by leaving a comment. I love knowing about any fun tweaks or clever swaps you make.
-Donna
Recipe
Blue Cheese Pizza with Mushrooms and Leeks
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- 12-inch pan or pizza stone
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1 pound homemade pizza dough, (454 grams) or store-bought
Pizza Topping
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek white part only, washed, quartered lengthwise, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, (125 grams) or the mushrooms of your choice, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4.5 ounces blue cheese, (125 grams)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Optional
- dot the pizza with extra blue cheese just before serving if you like
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Make my same-day pizza dough, or have your store-bought dough ready to go.1 pound homemade pizza dough
- Stretch the Dough: Lightly oil your 12-inch pizza pan, and stretch the dough onto it. Or pull the dough onto a pizza stone (I don't preheat my pizza stone). If it resists, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before continuing.
- Heat the Oven: Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, and heat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the Leeks & Mushrooms: Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 6-8 minutes; it's okay if they brown slightly, this will bring out their natural sweetness. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, about 7 minutes, then let most of it evaporate. Stir in the mustard, season with salt and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 leek white part only, 8 ounces white button mushrooms, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste
- Assemble the Pizza: Spread the mushroom-leek mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 ½-inch border. Sprinkle the blue cheese evenly over the top still keeping the border clean. Fold the outer edge inward over the filling, like a homemade version of a stuffed-crust pizza.4.5 ounces blue cheese
- Brush with Cream: Brush the folded edge with cream.2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Bake & Enjoy: Bake for 15-18 minutes if you're using a metal pizza pan, or 20-25 minutes if you're using a cold pizza stone, or until the bottom and sides are golden brown. A good gauge is to look at the middle of the pizza; when it starts to bubble, it's done. Enjoy.dot the pizza with extra blue cheese just before serving if you like
Notes
- blue cheese + pears + walnuts + honey
- blue cheese + caramelized onions + arugula
- blue cheese + fig jam + prosciutto
- blue cheese + carmelized red onions + artichoke hearts
Nutrition
I'm Donna, a home cook living near Montréal, Canada. I have decades of experience puttering in the kitchen, a love of cookbooks, and an unreasonable number of enameled pots. Keep it simple, learn as you go, and enjoy every bite!
Frank says
The flavor combination was out of this world! The pizza reheated perfectly in the air fryer the next day.
Donna says
We are big fans of pizza, and a blue cheese pizza is a nice change. I hope you love it 😍