Pizza capricciosa (literally capricious pizza) is a popular pizza in Italy, but not very well known throughout the world. It consists of 4 different types of toppings, basically making it a “mixed” 4 seasons pizza, because it usually has the same toppings, but mixed together.
You can choose your own preferred toppings for your pizza capricciosa, but a very typical combination is cooked ham (prosciutto cotto), button mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and black olives. These are the ones I’m using in this recipe.
For an authentic Italian pizza, using 4 different toppings is actually very rare; they tend to use fewer. Also, these toppings have really different flavors – in the classic 4 seasons pizza, they represent the flavor profile of the 4 seasons of the year. These different toppings mean that when you bite into a pizza capricciosa, you don’t really know what to expect. Thus, this is a capricious, impulsive, unpredictable pizza by Italian standards.
Tips for Making Pizza Capricciosa
- The amounts in this recipe yield 1 large pizza capricciosa.
- You need 280 g (10 oz) of dough for a regular-size pizza, and 140 g (5 oz) for a small pizza.
- If you are making more than one pizza, cut the dough into equal sizes, about 10 oz or 280 g each, and form a ball for each one of your pizzas.
- Use prosciutto cotto, or cooked ham if you can’t find it, for this pizza.
- Canned artichoke hearts pair best with the flavors of the ham.
- See my pizza dough recipe for more details.
- Also learn how to shape your pizza at home.
Pizza Capricciosa Topping Tips
To really enjoy an authentic, homemade pizza capricciosa, I recommend you use quality ingredients. I think one of the most important factors in making a real Italian pizza is using fewer toppings, but of excellent quality.
- Italian prosciutto cotto (literally cooked ham) is what makes the difference in any pizza, so be sure to try it!
- You can use regular button mushrooms, or Italian brown mushrooms, which are basically immature portobello mushrooms.
- If you don’t want to hassle with preparing fresh artichokes (or you can’t get them), just use canned artichoke hearts. They have a slight vinegary taste, but that goes well with the other toppings on your pizza capricciosa.
Pizza Capricciosa
Ingredients
- 10 oz
pizza dough 280 g - 4 tbsp tomato purée (passata) 66 g
- extra virgin olive oil a few drops
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 pinch salt
- 5½ oz fresh mozzarella cheese 150 g
- 1 slice prosciutto cotto cooked ham, about 35 g or 1.2 oz
- 1 medium Italian brown mushroom about 40 g or 1.4 oz
- 15-20 black olives
- 1½ canned artichoke hearts
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to the highest heat possible.
- Form the pizza dough into a ball. Start by making a circular motion with the palm of your hand, applying some pressure. Then release the pressure gradually until you get a nice ball shape. Put your pizza dough balls on a lightly floured work surface. Dust them with some more flour, and let them proof, covered with a kitchen towel, for another 15 minutes.
- Shape each dough ball into a large, thin disk and place it in a pizza pan.
- Put the tomato purée (passata) on top of the pizza dough, in the middle. With the back of a spoon or a ladle, using circular motions toward the edges, make sure the tomato covers your pizza dough. Leave an edge about 1 inch (2-3 cm) wide.
- Drizzle a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with some dried oregano and salt.
- Add mozzarella cheese. Just tear it into bite-size pieces, and place them over the tomato sauce.
- Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-1/5 inch (5-6 mm) slices and the artichoke hearts into 8 pieces. Tear your ham into bite-size pieces.
- Put all the toppings on your pizza: ham, mushrooms, artichokes, and olives. It is called capricciosa (capricious) because all these different toppings go together, so just don’t worry about arranging them.
- Transfer the pizza capricciosa to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!