Veggie Pizzas

One of Hubby's favorite foods is pizza! Since I started baking my own a few months ago, we've rarely gone out for it. This home made version tastes lighter and healthier, but still has a nice savory flavor that will make you want to go back for more!


I make my pizzas in a very unique way. I start by sauteing most of the toppings, so that they are mainly cooked through. And similar to what you do with a tart, I bake the crust first, before adding the toppings. After assembling the pizza, it then goes back into the oven for a few more minutes, simply to melt the cheese. Doing this serves two purposes: (1) It allows for a better tasting pizza. Sauteing the toppings locks in the flavor and will give you a more savory pizza. This makes it so that a veggie pizza, without fatty sausages and pepperoni, will still be full of flavor. And (2) it produces a better crust- super yummy and crispy!

Start by preparing the dough about an hour in advance.

Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water. Stir gently until combined and no clumps remain. Let mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes.


When it's ready, it should look like this- opaque. It will have also increased in volume.


Add flour, oil, and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix until everything is combined and looks "flaky," as pictured above.


Now, using your hands, gently push the "flakes" together until it forms into a ball. Kneed 2-3 times. Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the dough and cover with Saran wrap. Let it sit and rise in a warm area for about an hour, until it doubles in size.


While the dough rises, prepare the toppings. You can use any veggies, but I chose bell peppers, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke.


Dice the onion and green pepper. Saute in olive oil, with garlic salt and Italian seasoning, until almost cooked through.


Since I used canned sun-dried tomato and artichoke, they don't need to be cooked. Just drain them well and give them a quick chop.


When your dough is ready to go, divide into four equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough until it is about 8 inches in diameter (makes four personal pizzas).


Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet generously with olive oil. Make sure that all parts of the dough is covered in it- both top and bottom. Use a Silpat, if you have one. Poke the dough a few times with a fork (this prevents the dough from bubbling up in the oven). Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown.


Set up an assembly station with the toppings, pizza sauce (I just use Prego), cheese, and pizza seasoning. It's important to have pizza seasoning, because it's what gives the it that great pizza flavor! Unfortunately, it's hard to find. I looked for it at all the major grocery stores and couldn't find it. I finally ordered mine online at this great site that I found. I got the 4 oz jar, and it's lasted me forever! Well worth the investment. =)

Add a layer of pizza sauce to the crust, followed by a thin layer of cheese.

Add your toppings...

...followed by a thick layer of cheese. Adding on the cheese last makes it so that your toppings won't burn. It also "binds" all the toppings together. Sprinkle with a thin layer of pizza seasoning, enough to cover the entire pizza- about a teaspoon.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 more minutes, until cheese melts (depends on if you like your cheese to be just melted or slightly browning on top).

This recipe should serve four. But if you have a hubby like mine, it'll probably only serve three. =)


This recipe is also great for parties! Make them into bite sized pizzas by using a small round cookie cutter to create mini crusts. Roll out a large piece of dough and cut the crust with the cookie cutter, like you would for sugar cookies. Then follow the rest of the recipe, as is.


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