Gill Meller’s Fresh Springtime Herb Pizza

Nature lover, cook and “Outside” author Gill Meller often finds meal inspiration in his idyllic surrounds of his native Dorset. This springtime pizza is no exception. With the countryside currently abloom around him, it makes sense that Gill has come up with a recipe for a pie that’s fresh, simple and all about bright, herby flavours. 

Here, tomato sauce and meat get passed over in favour of parsley, chives, spring onions and tangy lemon, making this a welcome dish among vegetarians, too. In Gill’s part of the world, stinging nettles grow in abundance throughout the year, but they’re at their best in spring, which is why he chose to include them as well. If you can’t get hold of nettles in your neck of the woods, you can swap in fresh spinach leaves for an equally impressive pizza that serves as an ode to the season. 


Gill Meller’s Fresh Springtime Herb Pizza

Note

For the pizza dough, we recommend our Classic Pizza Dough recipe (just be sure to set aside 3 to 4 hours for proofing before cooking).

1. Fire up your oven, aiming for 400 °C to 450 °C (750 °F to 850 °F) on your baking stone.

You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance using an infrared thermometer.

Tip: If you're using wood pellets (Gill’s preference), it will be about 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook pizza, but you can start cooking the nettles or spinach almost immediately.

Bowl of dough next to a bowl of fresh mozzarella, a bowl of salt, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, pepper, lemon, parsley, chives, spring onions, nettles and fennel on a wood chopping board.

2. Place the washed nettles into your cast iron skillet or a medium-sized ovenproof pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place  over medium-high heat.

Stir the nettles every minute or so until the leaves are soft and wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Let them cool, then squeeze out excess liquid and set aside.

3. Place the parsley leaves, chives and fennel tops on a cutting board and chop them finely.

Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add the chopped herbs, grated garlic, lemon zest, spring onions and half the olive oil. Season everything with a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then tumble together.

4. Stretch your first dough ball out on a lightly-floured surface.

Push the air from the centre out toward the crust, then use your fingers to stretch the base to about 12 inches (30 centimetres).

Two hands placing cooked nettles, herby mozzarella and spring onions on stretched pizza dough on a wooden chopping board.

5. Arrange a quarter of the cooked nettles over the first stretched pizza base.

Scatter a quarter of the herby mozzarella and spring onions across the top and finish with a drizzle of your best olive oil.

6. Dust the peel with a touch of semolina, then slide it under the pizza and launch it into the oven.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, using the peel to rotate the pizza every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake. 

7. Remove from the oven, cut into six slices, serve and enjoy.

8. Repeat this process with the remaining pizzas.