Pizza has and will always be a favorite fast food throughout the world. Cheesy, gooey pizza topped with meat, or your favorite veggie toppings will never fail to fill one’s heart and tummy alike. And this pizza recipe is extra-special, one – because it is made of wholewheat Pizza dough, and two – it is entirely vegetarian! But before you meat-lovers start losing interest, do take a moment to read the description – This Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza combines sauteed onions, mushrooms, and peppers with briny olives and earthy smoked Gouda, and yes, it tastes as delicious as it sounds here! So bake it and eat it, before you believe it!
[Recipe and photo courtesy of Susan from FoodBlogga]
Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza
Ingredients
Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 (1/4 ounce) packet active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pizza Toppings
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups white or brown cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda, Gruyere, or mozzarella
1/4 cup sliced olives, such as green Cerignola and black Kalamata
3/4 cup shredded part-skim milk mozzarella
fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley for garnish
** feel free to add other toppings of your choice
Method
In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast, salt, and sugar in warm water and let rest for 5 minutes. Using a spoon, gently stir in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add flour and blend with a spoon just until the dough starts to form; using using your hands, transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly for 1-2 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth yet heavy and dense.
Place the dough in a medium, clean bowl coated with olive oil and rub some olive oil on top of the dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size (about 1- 1 1/2 hours). Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 12-inch disc. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper (if using a pizza stone) or to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. If you like, you can let the rolled out dough rest for about 30 minutes; it will rise slightly and create a puffier crust.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add onions and saute 3 minutes, or until just translucent. Add mushrooms and saute 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Add red bell peppers and saute 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the crust. Top with the grated smoked cheese. Arrange the vegetables on top. Scatter olives. Top with the mozzarella.
For a pizza stone, bake at 500 degree for about 10 minutes, or until both the top and bottom of the crust is brown and the cheese is melted. For a baking sheet, bake at 450 for about 20 minutes, or until both the top and bottom of the crust is brown and the cheese is melted. Serve hot or at room temperature, and garnish with fresh herbs.
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Basic Pizza Sauce Recipe
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very nice…