Pizza Time

Here it is, posted for my mom. The recipe for Valentine's Day Vegan Pizza (or any day for that matter).

Pizza Dough

I love this dough, it always turns out great and you can substitute half the flour with whole wheat pastry flour without sacrificing texture.

1 pkg. Active dry yeast
1 c. Warm water
2-1/4 t. Granulated sugar or honey or agave nectar for vegans
2T. Olive Oil
2 t. Salt
2-3/4 c. Bread flour (bread flour has more gluten in it and makes a stretchier dough)

I do all the steps directly into my KitchenAid mixer:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water then add in sugar and oil. Let sit a couple minutes so yeast can wake up have a snack and make a few bubbles.
2. Add salt and flour.
3. Put the bread hook into the mixer and mix until a ball forms.
4. Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed for 5 min.
5. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap (put plastic right onto the dough so a crust doesn't form), let rise 90 minutes on the counter.
6. Divide into 2 balls and pat into 2 12-inch circles.
7. For thin crust fill and bake now. For thick crust allow dough to rise 30-45 minutes more.
8. Top and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes and then let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Tips: I usually kneed the dough in my mixer for 5 minutes on the lowest setting. (This only works if you get a good ball. If the ball is too small or won't stick to the hook it won't really kneed.) Then I pull the dough out, spray the mixing bowl with oil spray and put the ball back in. This way I have one less dirty dish and no floured counter to clean.

I sometimes make the dough in the morning (it really doesn't take long at all) and put the whole thing in the fridge to rise. The rising is slowed way down. Then just pull the dough out in the evening and let it finish rising at room temp for 30-40 minutes.

Sometimes we use one half of the dough one night and then put the other half wrapped in plastic wrap and in a zip lock bag in the fridge for the next night. Or I make both pizzas and we eat one cold for lunch the next day.

If you make this with no cheese it won't take as long to cook so keep an eye on it and pull it out when everything is lightly browned including the bottom of the crust.

Toppings

Of course the possibilities are endless. For our pizzas pictured above we used:

Tomato sauce-I take a can of tomato sauce and add a couple tablespoons of "Italian Seasoning Blend". I try and buy organic tomato sauce or non-organic without all the sugar and fake stuff added. This tastes just as good as going to the trouble of making sauce from scratch but it is way easier.

Sliced olives, store bought dairy free pesto (it is the stuff in the tube on the shelf in the Italian food section), fungus for Greg.

And the best tofu ricotta ever! We sort of spread small chunks around the pizzas.

Basil - Tofu Ricotta

This recipe comes from Vegan with a Vengeance. A cookbook written by a punk girl in Brooklyn who has a cable access vegan cooking show. So far it has some tasty stuff but this recipe has blown us away. We have made vegan ricotta before but this stuff is pretty great. It has a creamy cheesy flavor. It tastes best if you make it in advance and let the flavors meld so if possible make it the day or morning before you will need it. It isn't necessary but it makes it even better!

1 pound firm tofu - pressed
2 t. lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced or pressed
1/4 t. salt
Dash of pepper
Handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (about 10) I have used dried and it still tastes pretty good. Just eyeball.
2 t. olive oil
1/4 c. nutritional yeast (that yellow flaky stuff Mom!)

1. In a bowl mush up the tofu with your hands till crumbly.
2. Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Mush with hands some more. Mush till it has a ricotta consistency. This will take 2-5 minutes. This is fun!!!
3. Add the olive oil, and stir with a FORK. It is too sticky at this point to still use your hands.
4. Add the nutritional yeast and mix together well with the fork.
5. Cover and refrigerate until you use it.

We use this to make manicotti and stuffed shells too. It is great!