Pizza is a pretty universal crowd pleaser – most kids and adults love a slice of heaven!
So why should babies be left out of the fun on pizza night?
The great thing about cooking pizza for your baby is that you can make a tasty pizza for the entire family, saving you from having to prepare two different meals.
And making a pizza from scratch lets you add whatever toppings you want – if you’ve struggled to get them to try broccoli then why not chop it into tiny pieces and sprinkle it on a pizza?
I’ve spent a long time perfecting my own family pizza recipe – and it’s had the thumbs up from my little ones so it’s perfect for toddlers too!
Now, my recipe here involves making your own dough, but there are lots of shortcuts if you need your pizza fast and you can find tips in this article.
This recipe features enough dough to make pizza for the whole family for pizza night – not just your baby.
I’m a firm believer in avoiding cooking twice wherever possible.
However you can mix up a batch of dough, take the quantity you need, and pop leftovers in the fridge or freezer for use on another day if you only want to cook one small pizza for your baby.
Can babies eat pizza?
Yes babies can eat pizza, it’s a nice option if you have decided to do baby-led weaning. Or even if you’re combining purees with finger foods!
In order to make it appropriate for your baby it’s best to avoid supermarket or takeaway pizza and make the dough from scratch to limit the amount of salt.
To be honest after several years of perfecting my own home-made pizza, it tastes far better than the supermarket ready-made versions anyway!
You will also want to cut it into small fingers to make it easier for them to pick up and hold.
The best age to offer your baby pizza is from between 10 and 12 months.
You know your baby best, and if you feel they are not quite ready to give pizza a try then delay offering it to them.
Can babies have mozzarella cheese?
Yes babies can have mozzarella when they are six months old, according to the NHS.
Grated mozzarella is my preferred option when making a pizza for my family, however if you want to use grated cheddar then go right ahead!
When to offer baby led weaning pizza
You can offer your baby small fingers, or tiny cubes, of my pizza recipe from 10 to 12 months.
I recommend you get started with weaning with a few other whole foods – such as soft cooked veg, soft berries and yoghurt – before you move on to pizza.
Shortcut for making baby pizza
Short on time? I get that waiting over an hour for dough to prove is less than ideal if you have a hungry baby right now.
Instead of making your dough you could use tortillas or wholemeal tortillas (which are the healthier option) as a base!
These have the benefit of being nice and thin, so your baby will find them easy to chew.
I have a recipe for tortilla pizzas for toddlers and babies here.
Toppings for baby pizza
Here are a few ideas for what to add to your baby’s pizza!
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Cherry tomatoes cut in half
- Shredded chicken or pork
- Spinach
- Kale
- Ham – go easy on this as it is quite salty
Tips for the perfect pizza for baby
Shape it into a rectangle or square
Your baby will find it easier to eat pizza if it is cut into skinny fingers that they can grip easily.
So shaping your pizza base into a rectangle or square (the shape does not have to be perfect, make it rustic) may be easier, as you can cut more square shaped pieces in this way.
Alternatively you can offer your baby small slices of your pizza – remember this recipe is intended to be cooked for the whole family – or give them your crusts if you’re not sure if they’re ready for a slice yet.
Ditch the salt
Most pizza dough recipes include salt, but I don’t add any in my recipe as it’s for babies.
To be honest by the time you have topped it with some cheese you will hardly notice it is missing!
If you desperately need your salt to add flavour then make dough for yourself and your baby separately.
Let your dough rest
It’s crucial for this recipe that your dough has time to rest. This means you need to plan ahead when you are going to have pizza.
I usually decide we are going to have pizza in the morning so I can make the dough then and simply divide it up into dough balls once we are ready for dinner.
Don’t overdo toppings
A pizza that is overloaded with toppings may go soggy and be tricky to eat.
Do not overdo the sauce – keep the layer of sauce thin enough that you can see the base underneath – and don’t pile up the cheese.
It’s the same with any additional toppings you may add such as peppers or mushrooms, try to space them out evenly rather than piling them high.
Get a pizza oven
If you are really passionate about getting the perfect pizza recipe just right, you have to get a pizza oven.
I had been cooking my pizzas in our kitchen oven over the last few years, and no matter how good I got my dough, once it was cooked it just wasn’t the same as a restaurant pizza.
Then I got an Ooni pizza oven for my birthday. It was a total game-changer. I can now make pizza that tastes as good as a takeaway for the whole family!
They’re not cheap, that’s for sure.
But a takeaway pizza can cost as much as £40 for a family of four.
I’ve worked out it’s actually not going to take me long to earn the money back in savings on takeaways. Especially now I’ve started having pizza a little more regularly.
Baby Pizza
Delicious baby pizza recipe with no added salt in the dough. Add whatever toppings you like!
Ingredients
- 400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g finely ground semolina flour
- 7g dried yeast sachet
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 325ml warm water
- 100ml pizza sauce or passata
- 250g grated mozzarella cheese
- Toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the bread flour, semolina flour and yeast, then pour in the water and oil.
- Mix together with a wooden spoon. It will start to combine into a ball - there will be quite a few crumbly bits but that’s OK, this is where you need to get involved with your hands.
- Dust your hands with a little flour to avoid the dough sticking to your fingers too much. Get your hands into the bowl and combine your mixture together to form a ball. This may take around five minutes.
- Now transfer your dough onto a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour and knead for around 10 minutes until your dough is smooth and springy to the touch.
- Dust a clean bowl with flour and put the dough into the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to prove for at least one hour.
- After this your can divide your dough into four separate balls - or you can wrap the dough in clingfilm and place it into the fridge or freezer for later (it will keep in the freezer for up to six months). If you want your baby to have their own mini pizzas, divide one of these four balls in half again to make a smaller pizza base. You can choose how big you want their pizza to be!
- Use your fingers to flatten out each of the dough balls, one at a time, to form a thin pizza base. You can use a rolling pin if you find this easier.
- Top the pizza with a thin layer of pizza sauce, using the back of a spoon to smooth it all over the base, but leave a 1cm gap between the sauce and the edge of the pizza for your crust.
- Sprinkle on your cheese (just enough for a single layer covering the pizza sauce), and add any other toppings.
- If using a normal oven then transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and cook in a pre-heated oven at the highest heat you can get (at least 220C) for 10 minutes (checking regularly to ensure it does not burn).
- If using a pizza oven, lightly dust your pizza peel with flour or semolina and then transfer to the pre-heated oven. Cook for 40 seconds, turning the pizza every 10 seconds for an even cook.
- Cut into small slices or fingers for your baby to enjoy!
