When we started making our own pizza dough, pizza making became an adventure. I love trying different toppings and tailoring my pizza to whatever I have in my fridge allowed us to use up the ingredients we already had . The broccoli that was on sale never made it onto our plates this week, so it made it onto my pizza on the weekend. Upcycle your food! Nothing new to my pizza dough. Just a simple recipe that always works! As for toppings, let your fridge and imagination guide you — my Broccoli Pesto is simple and can be adjusted. No basil? No problem, just make it broccoli, garlic and cheese. Add a few slices of sun-dried tomatoes and more vegan parmesan and you’ve got a delicious & nutritious meal. Feeling more traditional? Try The Very Good Butchers pepperoni, Nafsika’s mozzarella, and red onions.
Pizza Ingredients
1 &1/3 cups warm water
2 and 1/4 tsp yeast
1 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs olive oil
1&1/2 tsp salt
3 &1/2 cups flour
Instructions
Whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl (or food processor or mixer) add oil, salt, and flour. Mix for 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 3-4 minutes..
Lightly grease the large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Sit in a warm spot, like on a window sill. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes or until double in size.
Preheat oven to 475°F. Lightly grease baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal if you have it, or a dusting of flour.
When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into desired sizes — make 4 small or two medium or one large. On a lightly floured work surface, gently flatten the dough to desired shape and size.
Cover dough lightly with clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for a few minutes. Before adding toppings, brush the top lightly with olive oil.
Top with your favourite toppings and bake for 12 minutes.
Broccoli Pesto
1 heaping cup cooked small broccoli floret pieces
½ cup fresh basil or parsley
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup grated vegan parmesan cheese or 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend! Voila! Healthy and delicious pizza sauce.