Tomato Basil Pizza with Gouda Cheese - From Scratch!

I am a few days late to post this month's Sweet Punch entry but I had to do it, even if it late. Its pizza from scratch, how can I not?!

The first and only time I made pizza from scratch was when I went for cooking classes at Palate Sensations. It was amazing (especially because I didn't partially burn it then) and since then I stopped buying pizza base. What that also meant is, I didn't make pizza at home for ages.

But its super easy. Remember those garlic rolls that all of you loved and tried at home? Trust me when I say this is not even half as hard. With me? Ok here goes.

Pizza Base From Scratch
Recipe source: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Active Dry or Instant Yeast
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
2. In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. You can definitely do the mixing by hand, just knead gently, no need to waste too much energy.
   
3. Next, pour in yeast-water mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it.

Yield: 2 crusts
Prep Time: 00:10 mins
Cook time: 00:20 mins

According to PW, it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better. I kept it in the fridge for exactly 25 hours.

Here's how it looks after 24 hours or so. Slightly risen and quite airy.

Transfer half the dough to a floured surface. Lift and rotate the dough into a circle or rectangle, letting gravity do its job extending the dough on all sides. My dough didn't seem too elastic though and I was a bit worried. But it turned out perfect in the end.

Once you have a rough shape, transfer to a greased baking sheet (or use your Silpat - I got mine this time from the US - yay!!) and shape further using your fingertips to the right thickness you desire. I kept it neither too thick nor too thin. 

Oh btw, I decided to make a face at convention and used Gouda cheese in my pizza. You should do it too. Its not as elastic or chewy but has a lovely flavour and gives more depth to the pizza, making it taste gourmet. Or something like that. Try it.

Once you have your base ready, rub some olive oil on the base and you can go crazy with your options. I decided to keep it relatively simple. Some diced tomatoes went on first, followed by thin slices of portobello mushroom. 

This exercise actually make me realise how little you need to make a pizza. I used like half a mushroom to cover up the pizza!

The tomatoes and mushroom were followed by the freshly grated Gouda cheese and lovely, gorgeous, fresh basil leaves from my own herb 'garden'. I was so proud!

Bake in a 500F / 260C oven (or as high as your oven goes) for about 10-15 mins (until the crust turns brown and the cheese bubbles up nicely). I slightly burnt one side of my pizza because I had a guest and was talking to him. That also explains the very hastily taken last pic!

Loved this challenge, love pizza from scratch - actually love anything with cheese.

The end. 

Back to Basics

Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to recreate dishes I used to eat before I went vegan that I forget how great simple veggie dishes are. This pizza (thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, red and green peppers, and red onions) was fresh and tasty and unsullied by fake meat and cheese. A good reminder to get back to basics.

Irish Pizza

Irish Pizza? Yes! This is pizza re-imagined with traditional Irish sausage and potato pie ingredients (plus a few others). I have never had potatoes on pizza before, but it just seemed like a good idea. Turns out, it is a good idea. If you are looking for something a little different then give this pizza pie from the Emerald Isle a try.

INGREDIENTS

White Sauce

- 3 tbsp margarine

- 1.5 tbsp flour

- 1 cup plain soy milk

- 3/4 tsp dried thyme

- 1/2 tsp sage

- salt and pepper to taste

- 8 oz sliced white mushrooms

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 tsp dried thyme

- dash of salt and pepper

- 2-3 small Yukon gold potatoes

- 2-3 breakfast sausages, sliced into 1/4" pieces

- 1 cup chopped baby spinach

- 1 12" pizza crust

METHOD

I baked my pizza on the BBQ on a pizza stone atop 4 soup cans. I set the temperature to about 500 degrees. You can also bake it in an oven at the same temperature.

1. Make the white sauce: heat margarine in a small pot over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 min. Whisk in soy milk, add spices, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to bubbling, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and put in the fridge to bring the sauce down to room temperature.

2. Toss mushrooms in olive oil, thyme, and salt. Transfer to a stoneware baking sheet and roast on the BBQ (atop the baking stone), or in the oven, for 15 mins, or until mushrooms are browned.

3. While mushroom are roasting, slice potatoes very thinly. Boil in salted water for 1 min, then drain and rinse with cold water to keep them from cooking any more. Drain and pat dry.

4. Remove white sauce from fridge and whisk smooth. Spread on top of pizza crust. Top with chopped spinach and sausage. Top that with mushrooms and potato slices. Lightly spray top with olive oil and bake for 10-12 mins, or until crust and potatoes are nicely browned.

Grilled Veggie Pizza

We used to do pizza every Friday (followed by a movie for the kids), but have strayed from that tradition lately. Well, we were back in full force this week! I make the crust from Vegan With a Vengeance, but feel free to use your own favourite recipe.

INGREDIENTS

- eggplant

- zucchini (green, yellow, or both)

- shallots

- garlic clove

- tomatoes

- oregano

- pizza sauce

METHOD:

1. Heat grill to medium high. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Slice eggplant into medium-thick slices. Brush with oil.

3. Cut zukes in half, then in half lengthwise. Slice lengthwise. Brush with oil

4. Wrap unpeeled shallots and garlic clove in aluminum foil. Place on upper rack of grill.

5. Grill eggplant and zukes until nicely browned and softened. Remove shallots and garlic (after about 25 mins), and remove skins. Chop shallots and slice garlic.

6. Put down a nice layer of tomato sauce on your crust. Arrange eggplant, zukes, and tomato slices in some nice pattern. Add garlic, shallots and oregano.

7. Cook until crust is browned and crispy (I like to use a pizza stone).