Pizza Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons Pizza)
Classic Italian pizza divided into four topping 'seasons' — artichokes, mushrooms, cooked ham and black olives — on a crisp, blistered base with tomato and mozzarella. Great for sharing and showing off a bit of plating theatre.
Pizza Quattro Stagioni is the Italian answer to indecision: four toppings, one glorious pie. Each quadrant sings its own note — earthy mushrooms, tender artichokes, salty ham and briny olives — all balanced on a snap-and-chew crust.
Make this when you want a crowd-pleasing, theatrical pizza that’s actually easy to portion and personalise at the table. The trick is a high-heat oven, a well-rested dough and pre-cooking any wet toppings so each quarter stays distinct and not soggy.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white (bread) flour
- 325 ml lukewarm water
- 5 g instant yeast — about 1 packet
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 5 g caster sugar — optional — helps yeast
- 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 400 g tomato passata
- 1 clove garlic — crushed
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 g salt — for sauce (about 1/2 tsp)
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- 400 g mozzarella (ball or low-moisture), shredded or torn — use low-moisture for less sogginess
- 150 g cooked ham (prosciutto cotto) or sliced cooked ham — torn into bite-sized pieces
- 200 g jarred artichoke hearts (in water), drained — quartered if large
- 200 g chestnut or button mushrooms — sliced
- 80 g black olives (pitted, e.g. Gaeta or Kalamata) — halved
- 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil (for topping and cooking mushrooms)
- fresh basil — a handful, torn, for finishing
- grated Parmesan or Pecorino — to scatter (optional)
Equipment
- pizza stone or baking steel
- pizza peel (or inverted baking tray)
- oven thermometer
Instructions
Make the dough: in a large bowl combine the flour and salt. In a separate jug mix the lukewarm water, sugar and instant yeast; leave 2 minutes to bloom. Pour the wet into the dry, add 20 ml olive oil and mix until it comes together.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic (or use a stand mixer with dough hook for 6–7 minutes). Form into a ball.
Bulk rise: place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature until doubled — ~1½–2 hours. (Or refrigerate for 18–24 hours for a cold ferment and better flavour; bring back to room temperature before shaping.)
While the dough rises prepare the sauce: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan, add crushed garlic for 30 seconds, add passata, oregano, salt and a little pepper. Simmer gently 8–10 minutes to thicken, then cool.
Pre-cook the mushrooms: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt, cook until most moisture has evaporated and edges are lightly browned, about 3–5 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.
Divide and bench rest: knock back the dough, divide into 4 equal portions (about 250 g each), shape into balls and rest, covered, for 20–30 minutes.
Preheat oven to highest temperature (250–275°C / 480–525°F) with a pizza stone or baking steel on the top third or middle rack for at least 45 minutes. If you have a pizza oven or grill option, use that.
Shape each dough ball to a 10–12 inch base by hand-stretching or rolling; avoid a rolling pin if you want puffier edges. Transfer to a well-floured peel or an inverted baking tray.
Assemble: spread a thin layer (about 80–100 g) of the tomato sauce over the base leaving a 1–2 cm rim. Scatter 100 g mozzarella over the whole pizza. Now divide the pizza visually into four quarters and place the toppings: quadrant 1 — mushrooms; quadrant 2 — artichoke hearts (pat dry first); quadrant 3 — torn cooked ham; quadrant 4 — halved black olives. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil.
Bake one pizza at a time (or two if oven and stone/steel allow) directly on the hot stone/steel for 7–10 minutes until the crust is golden with some charred spots and cheese is bubbling.
Finish and serve: remove from oven, scatter torn fresh basil and an optional dusting of grated Parmesan. Let rest 1–2 minutes, slice and serve immediately.
Tips
- Cold ferment the dough in the fridge for 18–24 hours for a deeper flavour — bring back to room temperature before shaping.
- Use a pizza stone or steel and preheat it for at least 45 minutes; the hotter the surface the better the crust blisters.
- Pat jarred artichokes and olives dry and sauté mushrooms first — moisture is the enemy of crisp pizza.
- Don’t overload with sauce or cheese; a thinner, evenly spread layer helps the base crisp and lets toppings shine.
- Reheat leftovers in a hot skillet with a lid or under the grill for a minute to revive the crisp base rather than microwaving.
Substitutions
cooked ham (prosciutto cotto) → prosciutto crudo (add after baking) — same flavour family but uncooked, much saltier and delicate
Noticeably differentmozzarella (ball) → low-moisture mozzarella or Fior di Latte (drained well) — less water will give a crisper pizza
Stays closejarred artichoke hearts → briefly steamed or pan-roasted fresh artichoke quarters — fresher flavour but takes longer
Stays closeblack olives → green olives or capers — similar briny note but changes colour/appearance and bite
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 820
- Calories
- 35 g
- Protein
- 95 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this pizza vegetarian?
Yes — swap the cooked ham for grilled peppers, roasted squash or smoked tofu for a vegetarian version; the balance of four quarters still works well.
My pizza is soggy in the middle — what went wrong?
Most likely too-wet sauce or toppings (or the oven wasn't hot enough). Use a slightly reduced sauce, pat wet toppings dry, pre-cook mushrooms, and bake on a preheated stone/steel at the highest temperature possible.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Absolutely. Proof once, then refrigerate dough balls (well oiled, airtight) for up to 72 hours — or do a cold bulk ferment 18–24 hours for better flavour. Bring to room temperature before shaping.
What if I don’t have a pizza stone or steel?
Use an inverted heavy baking tray preheated in the oven; it won’t be quite the same as a steel but will still crisp the base if it’s very hot.
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