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Three-Cheese Pizza with Onion, Sage, and Rocket

This sophisticated three-cheese pizza with onion, sage and rocket is a celebration of classic Italian flavours. The base uses a slow-proven dough that produces a light, airy crust with a professional finish. By combining the buttery notes of Fontina with the sharp tang of Gorgonzola and the salty depth of Parmigiano-Reggiano, this recipe creates a complex savoury profile that is perfectly balanced by the earthy aroma of fresh sage.

As a lead vegetarian main course, this dish is ideal for a relaxed weekend dinner or a gourmet pizza night with friends. The addition of fresh, peppery baby rocket just before serving provides a crisp contrast to the bubbling, melted cheeses. Using a pizza stone ensures a perfectly crisp bottom, bringing the quality of a traditional stone-baked oven into your own kitchen.

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Ingredients for Three-Cheese Pizza with Onion, Sage, and Rocket

  • 1 (5g) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons )

  • About 475ml unbleached plain flour

  • 180ml warm water (105-46°C)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons cornmeal

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 110g Italian Fontina cut into 1/2-inch pieces (160ml )

  • 60g Gorgonzola dolce, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

  • 80g thinly sliced red onion (1 medium)

  • 6 large fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise (1 tablespoon )

  • 15g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup)

  • 110g loosely packed baby rocket leaves (4 cups)

  • a pizza stone

How to make Three-Cheese Pizza with Onion, Sage, and Rocket

Place pizza stone on floor of gas oven or on lowest rack if using an electric oven and preheat oven to 260°C (allow 1 hour for pizza stone to heat).

Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 60ml warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until mixture develops a creamy foam on surface, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Stir together 160g flour with salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, oil, and remaining 120ml warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough flour (about 60g ) to make dough come away from sides of bowl. (Dough will be wetter than other pizza doughs you may have made.)

Knead dough on lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands (reflour hands when dough becomes too sticky) until smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball, put on a lightly floured surface, and generously dust with flour. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours. Dust a wooden peel or a large baking sheet (without sides) with cornmeal.

Do not punch down dough. Carefully dredge dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to a dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom just touch the work surface, carefully and quickly move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 10 inches. Lay dough flat on peel or baking sheet. Continue to work edge of dough with your fingers, stretching it into a 14-inch round.

Brush dough with oil, leaving a 1-inch border, then scatter Fontina and Gorgonzola over dough (leaving a 1-inch border). Scatter onion and sage leaves over cheese. Sprinkle pizza with Parmigiano-Reggiano, then line up far edge of peel with far edge of stone in oven and tilt peel, jerking it gently to start pizza moving. When edge of pizza touches stone, quickly pull back peel to transfer pizza to stone (do not pull back pizza). Bake until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes. Slide peel under pizza to remove from oven, then top with rocket.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Article history

The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.

  • 17 Jan 2026 | Originally published

    Authored by:

    UK recipe editors

    Peer reviewed by

    UK recipe editors
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