This exquisite Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Crispy Sage offers a delightful celebration of autumn flavors. It pairs the natural sweetness of roasted butternut squash with creamy homemade ricotta, fragrant fresh thyme, savory Parmigiano Reggiano, and the irresistible crunch of pan-fried sage. The magic of this recipe lies not just in its gourmet toppings, but also in its foundation: a quick and easy 5-minute no-knead pizza dough, allowing you to create artisan-quality pizza with minimal effort.

Dough Source: Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

Pizza is inspired by a recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables

Chef’s Note: While this recipe uses the excellent “Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day” dough, for those looking for alternative homemade pizza doughs, I now frequently use Jim Lahey’s no-knead, slow-rise pizza dough or the fast-rise recipe from Bread Toast Crumbs. Both are detailed in this post: How to Make Great Neapolitan Pizza At Home.

For the Revolutionary 5-Minute No-Knead Pizza Dough:

• 3 1/2 cups Lukewarm water (approximately 100°F – 110°F or 38°C – 43°C)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 7 1/2 cups (approximately 2 lbs. 6 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour

This dough recipe yields enough for approximately 6 medium-sized pizzas. You can store the unused portion in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.

For the Exquisite Butternut Squash & Crispy Sage Pizza Toppings:

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound, yielding enough for 1-2 pizzas with potential leftovers)
• Olive oil, for roasting and garlic oil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• Fresh ricotta cheese (homemade is highly recommended for best flavor)
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed (about 1-2 teaspoons)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 10–15 fresh sage leaves
• Canola oil, for frying sage leaves (or another neutral high-heat oil)

Flavor Enhancements & Variations: The original inspiration for this recipe sometimes included mozzarella and Gruyère cheeses, as well as a finishing touch of fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Feel free to experiment with these additions to tailor the pizza to your preference!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Artisan Fall Pizza

Crafting the 5-Minute Pizza Dough:

1. Combine Ingredients: In a large 5-quart bowl or, ideally, a lidded (but not airtight) plastic food container or storage bucket, add the lukewarm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. There’s no need to wait for it to fully dissolve. Next, add the flour and kosher salt. Using a sturdy wooden spoon (or a food processor with a dough blade, or a stand mixer with a dough hook), mix until all ingredients are just incorporated and uniformly moistened, with no dry patches of flour remaining. If mixing by hand, you might need to use slightly wet hands to incorporate the last bits of flour. The beauty of this recipe is that no kneading is required! The resulting dough will be quite loose and will conform to its container. This step typically takes only a few minutes.
2. First Rise (Room Temperature): Cover the vessel with a non-airtight lid (important for allowing gases to escape during fermentation). Let the dough rise at room temperature for about two hours. The exact timing can vary depending on your room’s temperature and the initial warmth of your water. The dough is ready when it begins to flatten on the top surface. Resist the urge to punch down the dough!
3. Refrigeration & Storage: Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and allow it to chill overnight, or for a minimum of 3 hours. During refrigeration, the dough will naturally collapse; this is completely normal and expected for this type of dough. Store the dough in the refrigerator and it will remain viable for making fresh pizzas for up to 14 days. This allows for spontaneous pizza nights!

Baking Day Preparations for the Perfect Pizza:

1. Prepare Toppings: Before you plan to bake, prepare all your pizza toppings according to the recipes provided below. This ensures everything is ready when your dough is.
2. Preheat Your Oven: Approximately thirty minutes before you’re ready to bake, place a baking stone or baking steel in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to its highest possible temperature (usually around 500-550°F or 260-290°C). A high temperature is crucial for a crisp crust. If you don’t have a baking stone or steel, you can still achieve excellent results by baking the pizza directly on a parchment-lined jelly roll pan (a standard metal baking sheet with edges). Avoid using an insulated baking sheet, as it will not allow for a sufficiently crispy crust.
3. Prepare Your Dough Portion: If using a baking stone, dust a pizza peel generously with flour, cornmeal, or cover it with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with a little flour. Using a serrated knife or kitchen shears, cut off a 1/2-pound portion of dough (roughly the size of a large orange). Briefly hold the dough in your hands, adding a tiny bit more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Gently stretch the surface of the dough, tucking it around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating it a quarter turn as you go, until it forms a neat ball. Most of the dusting flour will fall off, as it’s not meant to be incorporated into the dough. The bottom of the dough might look like a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out and adhere once you roll it. This entire process should take no more than 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Shape the Pizza Crust: On a lightly floured work surface, or directly onto your prepared pizza peel, use your hands and a rolling pin to flatten the dough into an approximately 1/8-inch-thick round. Continue dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Aim for a round roughly 12 inches in diameter. If not using a peel, use a dough scraper to carefully transfer the shaped dough round to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Add Your Delicious Toppings: Now comes the fun part! Refer to the “For the Roasted Butternut Squash Toppings” instructions below and layer your prepared ingredients onto the dough.
6. Bake to Perfection: Carefully slide the pizza (either directly from the peel onto the baking stone, or place the sheet pan into the oven). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If you notice one side browning faster than the other, carefully rotate the pizza halfway through baking. If your crust isn’t as golden or crispy as you’d like, you can bake for an additional five minutes, keeping a close eye on it.

Preparing the Roasted Butternut Squash & Crispy Sage Toppings:

1. Prepare the Butternut Squash: Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). To easily remove the skin, first slice off about 1/2-inch from both ends of the squash to create flat, stable surfaces. Then, cut crosswise through the squash just above its bulbous bottom. This creates two easier-to-handle pieces for peeling. (Note: For one pizza, I typically only peel and use the longer, non-bulbous portion of the butternut squash, saving the other for another dish.) Stand one piece upright and, using a sharp knife and exercising extreme caution, carefully run the knife down the sides to remove the peel. Repeat with the bulb portion if desired, then cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and discard. Slice the peeled squash crosswise into uniform 1/4-inch-thick pieces. A mandoline can save time and ensure consistent thickness, but a sharp knife works perfectly well too.
2. Roast the Squash: Arrange the squash slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with kosher salt to taste. Toss gently to ensure even coating, then redistribute the slices onto the sheet. Place in the preheated 400ºF (200ºC) oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender and slightly caramelized. Set aside.
3. Assemble the Pizza Base: While the squash roasts, prepare your garlic oil. Peel and finely mince the two cloves of garlic, then combine them with about 1/4 cup of good quality olive oil. Once you’ve rolled out your pizza dough round and placed it on your prepared baking sheet or pizza peel (as per step 7 above), generously brush the dough with the garlic olive oil. (I find spooning some oil into the center and then spreading it with the back of the spoon works beautifully). Next, spread a thin, even layer of fresh ricotta cheese over the garlic oil. Sprinkle generously with fresh thyme leaves to your liking. Finally, arrange your roasted butternut squash slices over the ricotta and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Your pizza is now ready for the oven!
4. Fry the Crispy Sage: This step adds an incredible depth of flavor and texture! The original book offers minimal instruction for frying sage, and after a few trial-and-error batches (some unfortunately burnt), I discovered the trick. Heat canola oil (enough to create a shallow layer, about 1/4 inch deep) in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking. Fry the sage leaves one at a time. They should crisp up in no more than 5 seconds. It’s a quick process! If they brown too quickly, remove the pan from the heat momentarily to cool the oil, then return it. Once you get the hang of it, it’s quite simple and truly worth the effort for the unique, savory crunch the crispy sage imparts. Carefully remove fried leaves with tongs and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
5. Serve and Enjoy: Once your pizza is baked to a golden perfection, remove it from the oven. Immediately scatter the freshly fried crispy sage leaves over the top. Slice, serve, and savor this wonderfully autumnal, gourmet pizza. Yum!