Homemade Fully Loaded Veggie Pizza

Ok, let’s talk about pizza dough. I have tried almost every ready-made pizza dough out there – the frozen ones, the fresh ones, the already cooked ones, the roll out yourself ones – and none of them are as tasty as the the dough this recipe makes. It’s from one of my favourite cookery books Vegetarian Cooking (more info on my About page) and is really easy to make. Yes it takes a bit of time, yes you have to use yeast and you need a bit of patience while it activates and froths up. But then you just mix everything together and beat it up until it looks and feels like dough. Simple. Also, the dough recipe below will make up to 6 12″ pizzas, depending on how thin you roll it out of course, and it freezes really well so you don’t have to break out the yeast every time you fancy a pizza. I separate the dough into portions, wrap each in clingfilm and keep it in the freezer. Then I just defrost it for a few hours, roll it out, top it and I’m 15 mins away from amazing homemade pizza! Or try my Stuffed Dough Balls recipe for something a little different for your left over dough.

Although the dough recipe isn’t my invention, the toppings are definitely all me. Goats cheese, tomatoes, roasted butternut squash – yum! It may seem like a strange combination but it really does work, it’s my favourite pizza combination. Give it a go. I chopped and roasted a full squash and whatever didn’t end up on my pizza was stored in an air-tight container in the fringe and I had it with salad the next day.

Alternatively, try a tin of tuna and lots of sliced red onion (that’s my husband’s favourite) What’s you favourite pizza topping? Let me know in the comments section.

Ready in 2 hrs from scratch (Dough = 15 mins to activate yeast, 15 mins kneading, 60 mins proving. Pizza = 15 mins prep, 15 mins bake) – Toppings enough for 1 12″ pizza.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of sugar
225ml of warm water
7g of dried yeast
350g of strong white flour
1 teaspoon of salt
30 ml of olive oil + extra for greasing

Half a small butternut squash, chopped into bite sized pieces. Remove the seeds but no need to peel.
2 large whole garlic cloves
3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil
A good pinch of black pepper
3 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of basil
100g of mature cheddar cheese, grated
6 cherry or plum tomatoes chopped into halves or quarters
4 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons of sliced black olives
Half a small red onion, thinly sliced
100g of goats cheese

Method

Mix 150mls of the warm water with the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. – Pic 1
Leave until frothy (about 15 mins). – Pic 2
Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the olive oil, yeast mixture and the rest of the water into the well. – Pic 3
Mix well to a stiff but pliable dough. – Pic 4
Knead for about 10 mins on a lightly floured surface or in a mixer with a dough hook until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover in cling film and put in a warm place for 60 mins or until doubled in size. – Pic 5 & 6

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200c / 180c fan / gas mark 6.
In a large oven proof dish or baking tray, put the squash, garlic, olive oil and black pepper and mix well so all the squash is coated.
Roast for 40 mins, giving it a good mix and turn half way through. The squash should be soft and just starting to brown. – Pic 7

Increase the oven temperature to 220c / 200c fan / gas mark 7.
Knead the dough for a min on a lightly floured surface to knock some of the air out and then divide the dough evenly into quarters or sixths depending on how thin you like it.
Roll one portion of the dough out on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a pizza tray or baking tray. – Pic 8
Spread the tomato puree onto the base and sprinkle the herbs evenly on top. – Pic 9
Add the grated cheese and the rest of your toppings. – Pic 10
Bake for 15 mins, or until the base is crispy on the bottom, turning the tray half way through to ensure an even bake.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Veggie Lasagne

The Ultimate Cheese and Tomato Toasty

The Best Garlic Mayo Dip