Dutch Baby Pesto Breakfast Pizza

I've been trying to write this post for a while-- ugh, hours now, honestly-- but I keep getting distracted by a very sharp set of teeth on my toes. And tugging at my pants. And attacking my ankles.

I guess that's my painful reminder that before I begin to tell you about this delicious Dutch Baby, I need to finally tell you about the other baby in my life. A baby of the canine variety. What I'm trying to say is that I've got a new puppy and I'm about to gush to you about her.

This is Roux, the newest member of the Host the Toast household. Isn't she adorable? Doesn't she look just like me? #prouddogmom

Though I have to say that this picture is kind if misleading because she absolutely is NOT that tiny anymore. This photo was taken only 3 weeks ago, but Roux is already 20 pounds, which is about twice as big as she was then! They grow up so quickly! How is this happening so fast?

Really, the whole thing happened crazy fast.  One minute we were throwing around the idea of getting a dog-- specifically, a hypoallergenic one for James; and the next minute a litter of labradoodles fell right into our laps. 

I was freaking out on our way to see the puppies. More accurately, I was freaking out throughout the entire puppy-meeting process. James smushed his face into all of the pups and I was staring at him nervously waiting for a sneeze or puffy eyes to emerge, since a lot of "hypoallergenic" dogs can still bother people who suffer from dog allergies.

(Meanwhile, the sweetest little red-collared girl waddled over and pawed my arm so that I'd pick her up. I was smitten.) 

But James never so much as sneezed! He didn't have a runny nose or watery eyes. We were good to go-- which gave me a runny nose and watery eyes because I got pretty emotional about the fact that we were about to actually welcome this little lump into our family. Yeah, I cried like a punk, okay?

And she's been the greatest little lump that there ever was. At least when she's not puppy-biting the absolute shit out of me.

But let's get down to business-- no more about the fur-baby. We need to talk about the Dutch Baby. Or rather, the Dutch Baby Pesto Breakfast Pizza.

Usually, Dutch babies are a version of sweet pancakes. They're typically made in cast iron skillets and they puff up like popovers while they cook, deflating into an almost deep-dish-pizza-like shape shortly after being pulled from the oven. Some people sprinkle theirs with powdered sugar and top them with berries, others fill them with lemon curd, but I figured since we've already got that whole pizza vibe going on, why not make it savory and use the Dutch Baby as a pizza crust?

I wanted the Dutch Baby Breakfast Pizza to boast some serious springtime flavors, since I imagined it being served at a picnic on a sunny May morning, or at Mother's Day breakfast, or at my house for a "meet-our-puppy" brunch with a few friends (which is exactly what I did). To me, spring flavors meant packing in the fresh herbs and loading up on green ingredients. Nothing quite says "welcome, warm weather" like a garden of greens.

I omitted the sugar and vanilla extract from the traditional Dutch pancake batter and replaced them with chives, tarragon, and parsley. Then, after the batter had cooked into a deliciously golden bowl, I slathered on even more herbs in the form of homemade pesto.

And I used all of my willpower not to take a bite right then. 

By the way, you're free to tinker with this recipe in whatever way you'd like-- replace the asparagus, leave out the prosciutto, go wild-- but please, please don't pass on the pesto.

In fact, now that we know it's a thing, I'm thinking that the standard way to serve Dutch babies should be savory and pesto-topped forevermore. Raise your hand if you agree.

Pesto's not all this Dutch Baby is bringing to the table, clearly. There's also rich and creamy burrata cheese, salty prosciutto pieces, shaved fresh asparagus (which I made easily with a vegetable peeler), a couple of eggs, and lastly, a handful of sprouts to finish it off.

Of course I went all in. As I always say on here, if I'm bothering to get up early to make breakfast beyond a bowl of cereal or cup of coffee, I'm gonna do it right. (Well, doing it right for me would have been keeping the egg yolks a bit runny, but I've yet to convince my friends of the glory of an over easy egg, so sacrifices were made.)

I can't say I minded much, though, because I demolished this Dutch Baby Pesto Breakfast Pizza. Everyone did. It was the perfect "meet-our-new-puppy" meal, and I'll be making it again the next time we have friends by for brunch. And probably for Mother's Day. And definitely for dinner soon, because this Breakfast Pizza is actually amazing any time of day-- especially if you're digging in after a long day of puppy training.

Dutch Baby Pesto Breakfast Pizza

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• Author: Morgan
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Dutch Baby:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 large eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as chives, parsley and/or tarragon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the toppings:

• ⅓ cup pesto sauce (recipe below)
• 4 ounces burrata cheese, cut into large rounds
• ½ pound thick asparagus, shaved
• 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
• 2-3 large eggs
• Radish sprouts or microgreens, to garnish

For the Pesto:

• 2 cups packed chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup olive oil, plus more as needed
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt, to taste

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Instructions

1. To begin, make the pesto. If using store-bought, skip this step. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the ½ cup of olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Mix in the parmesan cheese and kosher salt, to taste. Stream in more olive oil, if necessary, until smooth. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Whisk wet ingredients into dry until just combined, then stir in the fresh herbs.
4. In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Allow it to cook until it begins to brown just slightly. Swirl the skillet so that it's coated with the butter and pour the batter into the pan. Allow it to sit for a minute, then transfer it to the oven to bake.
5. Bake the Dutch Baby until it's extremely puffy and golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the Dutch Baby from the oven, allow it to fall, and top it with ⅓ cup of the pesto. Layer the burrata cheese on top and then cover the Dutch Baby with the shaved asparagus and pancetta. Separate space in the asparagus and pancetta to create nests for the eggs. Crack the eggs into the nests and gently return the Dutch Baby to the oven. Bake until the whites have set, or the eggs are cooked to your desired consistency, about 15 minutes or so. 
6. Serve warm topped with radish sprouts or microgreens.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes