Why does the homemade pizza world need a white pizza sauce? Because forearmed is for friends.

White pizzas are not the most popular. But when you can make a killer white pizza—which is not that hard to do— it pushes the boundaries on your pizza repertoire.

It can also ingratiate you to people worth knowing.
 
What on earth am I talking about?
 
Pizza is very much a social food. And in an age where food allergies are on the rise, there’s a chance that you’re going to find allergic friends at your table because, allergies aside, everyone loves pizza.
 
Recent example: I’ve developed a fascination with mushrooms--which is also an example of an arc in one’s food character.

As a kid, I hated mushrooms mainly because of the way they looked. If they were buried in something and unidentifiable, no problem. But as soon as something appeared mushroom-esque, I was dismayed. I could eat it. But I didn’t seek out such fare.
 
That has changed about 180 degrees. I find excuses to use mushrooms. The sausage & mushroom pizza has become a standard in my repertoire. All that fatty, spicy, umami goodness of sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese is a total bell ringer.
 
Plus, the more I learn about mushrooms and their properties, both as a plant and as a pharmaceutical, the more intriguing the whole fungi thing becomes.
 
And that’s not even getting into the socio-cultural drama of mushroom foraging. The stories revolving around morel hunters are the stuff of Hollywood. After a big fire season in the Pacific Northwest, the morel hunting sub-culture rivals drug cartels in terms of drama, violence and intrigue.
 
Anyway, I was talking with a friend who mentioned that someone she knows is growing mushrooms locally and they’re fantastic.
 
I said that’s great, I can be ready to make a mushroom pizza with three-day's notice. And that’s worst-case scenario. Sometimes I have pizza dough on hand and can be ready within a couple of hours. Otherwise, in a perfect world, I want to make fresh dough and allow it three days for cold fermentation.
 
She was briefly enthusiastic, then said, “But I’m allergic to tomatoes.”
 
To which I brought the apparently magic reply: “I make a white pizza with béchamel.”
 
You should have seen her eyes light up.

A béchamel sauce is perfect for a mushroom-forward pizza. It would be one of those pizzas that you don't see coming and it suddenly wallops you along the jawbone and leaves you spinning.

And if you add crispy bacon? Danger, Will Robinson! 
 
This woman not only enjoys food but happens to be a biologist. I’m telling you right now: food-loving scientists are good people to know. They can bring a lot of thrill to the kitchen and the dining table.
 
Some of the most extraordinary meals I’ve had in a home kitchen have involved scientists and excellent ingredients. From morel foragers to barbecuers to wild-yeast bakers to…well, you name it. Even the best salads I’ve ever had were the product of a scientist who possesses a flair for food.
 
I suspect for cooking generally, it’s a little like pizza: You’re better at it when you understand the science involved. (I’m no scientist, but I’ve tried to acquire a layman’s idiotic understanding of the biochemistry and thermodynamics involved and have learned enough to be dangerous.)
 
Bottom line: you often eat better when a scientist participates. See also: fresh local mushrooms.
 
Plus, it encourages me to push the boundaries on my pizza repertoire.​

This is the first white pizza that made me say, "Wow." And it was made almost by accident.

​I never would have understood her apparent white-pizza joy had I not previously hosted a make-your-own pizza night.
 
For that event, I felt obliged to supply a béchamel sauce. A couple of people had very excitedly told me they were going to be bringing toppings for white pizzas.
 
A proper white sauce seemed the hospitable thing to do.
 
Béchamel is a very simple sauce to make. It keeps well. And it brings a level of creaminess and unctuous delight to a pizza.

Let's call this pizza "Turn My Head." The photo above is an extreme closeup of the first white pizza that I made with béchamel. It’s the pizza that turned my head around on white pizza: bechamel, fresh and shredded mozzarella, shredded parmesan, speck, spinach, garlic.

The golden spots that look like olive oil are rendered fat from the speck, which was oh so unapologetically good. Combined with the béchamel, it was just a delight of creamy goodness.
 
Following is a recipe for bechamel. Enjoy!
 
Bechamel Sauce
 
Yield: about one cup
 
You'll want to make this sauce somewhat thicker than what might be normal. Since we’re putting it on a pizza, we want to make sure it's not too liquid and stays on the pizza.
 
Ingredients:
​
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Warm the milk on low heat. When bubbles form at the edge, remove from heat.
 
Next, we’re making a roux. Take a heavy saucepan, and melt the butter over medium heat.
 
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously. Don’t let the roux brown. Stir the roux until it bubbles, probably a couple of minutes.
 
Gradually add the heated milk, stirring it all with a whisk.
 
As you’re stirring, it’ll begin to bubble and thicken. You don’t want it to be too thin, but you also don’t want it the consistency of paste. You want it to be thick enough that it seems like it would be easy to spread on a pizza without running over the edges, off the peel and onto the kitchen counter. (I don’t often make a pizza mess. But when I do, it is Tik Tok-worthy.)
 
Reduce the heat to low. Add the salt and pepper to taste. For me the taste is, “Yeah, I could eat that with a spoon.”
 
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
 
Cover it until it’s time to make the pizza. If you want to store it in the fridge, put it in a covered container. It should last for two to three days. The pizza in the photo was actually made with a sauce leftover from the make-your-own pizza party.

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Not ready for béchamel? Ready to learn basic pizza? You'll find all the steps right inside my weird and award-winning pizzamaker’s manual, Free The Pizza: A Simple System For Making Great Pizza Whenever You Want With The Oven You Already Have. If you’re just beginning your pizza-making journey, it’s a good place to start because it doesn’t force you to make any decisions beyond making a pizza. It’s simple a step-by-step guide for getting from zero to pizza and amaze your friends and family. And really, yourself as well. That first fabulous pizza is a glorious moment. Learn more right here.