Showing posts with label pizza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pizza. Show all posts

February 2, 2010

Homemade Vegan Cheese Pizza


We love pizza around here, and when it doesn't come vegan-style from the local parlor (seriously, when are the big chains going to catch on to this?!) you have to find new-fashioned ways of doing it the "old-fashioned way." As you know, bread is Jason's thing and he's found a great basic recipe for any homemade pie. Here's how he does it...

1 C warm (hot, but not boiling) water
1 T active dry yeast
2 1/2 C all purpose flour,  with 1/2 C separated
(we tried making this with all whole wheat flour and it turned out great, so if you're watching your intake of the white stuff, feel free to substitute)
1 T salt
1 T sugar (or preferred sweetener - we use agave when we have it)
  • Combine the hot water and yeast in a small bowl, then let it sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Combine 2 C flour, sweetener and salt in a large bowl.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture into it.
  • Combine ingredients with a spoon until it can no longer be properly stirred by that method. Then dump it out onto a floured surface and start kneading, adding more flour in small increments if it's really sticky.
  • Once the dough has come together and lost its stickiness-factor, shape it into a ball, place it into a large bowl (the one you already used is fine), and cover it with a towel.
  • Allow the dough to sit for one hour.
  • Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  • While oven is warming up, take out your dough and cut it in half. 
  • Use a rolling pin to shape your dough to fit either on a large cookie sheet or (like we do it) on a large round baking stone.
  • Use a fork to poke a few holes here and there on your crust.
  • Cook the crust at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the crust from the oven and add your toppings (we use Muir Glen Pizza Sauce, Vegan Gourmet Cheddar, Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella and sometimes we throw on a bunch of veggies when we have them).
  • Place well-topped pizza back into the oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until your toppings are piping hot and your crust is just the way you like it. I can't ever seem to make that vegan cheese melt, so that's why it looks weird in the picture, but melted or not it still tastes pretty good.
  • Enjoy!