This Easy Bacon and Egg Pizza makes a stunning main course for family dinners, book club gatherings, or a casual luncheon. Made with store-bought dough, it’s quicker and easier than it looks while still delivering bright, satisfying flavor.
How Celia’s Duck Dinner Turned into a Pizza Night
This recipe is the third in my series of Celia Fairchild dishes, a set of recipes inspired by scenes and characters in my novel, The Restoration of Celia Fairchild. Book clubs often enjoy serving food that ties into the story they’re reading, so I developed these recipes with that in mind.
If you’re exploring the Celia Fairchild menu, you might also enjoy my Parmesan and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Straws and Grapefruit, Pecan, and Goat Cheese Salad—both easy to prepare and great for gatherings.
The pizza itself comes directly from a mishap in the book. Celia attempts a festive roast duck for her first dinner party but struggles with the preparation. Her assistant, Pris, improvises by turning breadstick dough into pizza crust and raiding the refrigerator for toppings. The result is this rich, savory pizza topped with bacon, eggs, and a creamy white sauce.
The duck disaster in the story is loosely inspired by a real-life family incident—one that continues to be talked about at gatherings. If you see me on tour, ask me to tell the story; it always gets a laugh.
Festive, Beautiful, and Surprisingly Easy
Homemade pizza can seem intimidating, but this version is straightforward because the dough can be store-bought. If you enjoy making dough from scratch, by all means do—otherwise, grab an unbaked pizza dough from the grocery store to save time and effort.
Rather than a tomato base, this pizza uses a creamy béchamel-style white sauce that pairs perfectly with bacon and egg. The sauce is simple to make: melt butter, whisk in flour, and add warmed milk slowly while stirring until smooth. Finish with shredded gruyere, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and chopped chives for a rich, silky topping.
After the sauce, assembly is quick—spread the béchamel over the rolled dough, scatter cooked bacon, bake until the crust is lightly golden, then add eggs and cheese and briefly broil until the cheese melts. You can prepare the eggs any way you prefer—sunny-side up, coddled, or scrambled. I like them sunny-side up with slightly soft yolks to make the sauce even more decadent.
This pizza is elegant enough for company but simple enough for a weeknight meal. Try it for your next family supper, book club, or casual dinner party—it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Easy Bacon and Egg Pizza with White Sauce: Celia Fairchild Recipe #3
- Author: Marie Bostwick
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Pizza and Toppings
- 1 lb pizza dough, plain or herb-and-garlic, store-bought
- 8 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
White Sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup gruyere, shredded
- 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).
Make the béchamel sauce
In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is foamy and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Gradually stream in the warmed milk, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of nutmeg, black pepper, shredded gruyere, and chopped chives. Press a sheet of parchment onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a roughly 15″ x 10″ rectangle. If the dough resists, let it rest a few minutes so the gluten relaxes, then continue. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased 15.5 x 10.5-inch baking sheet and gently stretch into the corners. If you like, fold the edges over 1/2″ to form a small crust.
Spread the béchamel in an even layer over the dough. If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a splash of warmed milk to loosen it. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the chopped bacon for garnish, then scatter the remaining bacon evenly over the sauce. Bake 10–12 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to brown.
While the pizza bakes, prepare the eggs to your preference—sunny-side up, coddled, or scrambled. I prefer sunny-side up with slightly soft yolks.
Remove the pizza from the oven and arrange the eggs on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and the reserved 2 Tbsp bacon. Place under the broiler on high for 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts and the edges brown slightly. Remove and serve warm, garnished with additional chopped chives if desired.