Heirloom Tomato Pizza
The peak-tomato showpiece of the summer. Heirlooms in every color, barely warmed on a blistered crust with melty vegan mozzarella and basil. Make the dough from scratch on a weekend, or grab Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough for a Tuesday - either way, the tomatoes are the star.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 32 min
- Serves
- 4
- Method
- Bake
At The RANCH, we grew close to 900 heirloom tomato plants on our farm - Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Black Krim, and the little Sungolds that never made it back to the kitchen because we ate them in the field. Heirlooms aren't bred to travel or sit on a shelf; they're bred for flavor, which is why the ugly, lopsided, split ones are almost always the best. A pizza is the honest way to serve them - barely warmed, so the fruit stays the star. Buy a few different colors at the market this week. - Michael
What actually matters here
- Salt the tomatoes and drain them 10 minutes so the pizza does not go soggy.
- Get the oven and a stone or steel as hot as it goes (500 degrees plus) for a blistered crust.
- Do not overload it - a few good tomatoes, a little vegan cheese, basil after baking.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
Dough (makes 2)
- 3 1/2 cupsbread flour
- 1 1/4 cupswarm water
- 1 tspinstant yeast
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspsugar
- 1 1/2 tspsalt
- 1 lbOR Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough, room temp
Toppings
- 1 1/2 lbheirloom tomatoes, mixed colors, sliced and salted
- 8 ozvegan mozzarella
- 2garlic cloves
- 1 cupbasil
- olive oil and flaky salt
Before you start
- Dough: mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt; add water and oil; knead 8 minutes; rise 1 to 2 hours until doubled; divide. (Or let Trader Joe's dough warm 30 minutes so it stretches.)
- Slice and salt the tomatoes; set on a rack.
- Heat oven to 500 degrees plus with a stone or steel.
Method
- Stretch each dough into a round on a floured peel or pan.
- Brush with olive oil and rub with garlic.
- Scatter vegan mozzarella and a few blotted tomato slices.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is blistered and the cheese melts.
- Top with fresh tomato, torn basil, olive oil, and flaky salt.
- Slice and serve hot.
How you know it is right
- The crust is blistered and crisp.
- The cheese is melty.
- The tomatoes are ripe, glistening, and the clear star.
- Every color is on the plate.
How to serve it
Serve with a simple arugula salad and a cold drink. Cut into big slices.
If you want it simpler
- Trader Joe's refrigerated dough (at room temp) makes this a weeknight dinner.
- A sheet pan works if you do not have a stone or steel.
Salt the tomatoes, blister the crust, and let the heirlooms shine.
This dish came from the SEASON plan for July 13 - 19, 2026, alongside nine other dinners and one shopping list.
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Written and tested by Chef Michael Rossi, who has spent thirty years in professional kitchens including Napa Rose, THE RANCH, The Masters at Augusta National, and The Beach Club. Every SEASON recipe is one he has cooked on a real line before it reaches a home kitchen.