5 Steps For The Perfect Vegetable Pizza Recipe
Welcome to your vegetable pizza recipe guide. I'm a little obsessed with pizza and, well - if I say so myself - I make very good pizza. Friday night pizza is like a religion in our house but we never order takeaway.
With a bit of planning, good use of the freezer and a couple of essential pieces of equipment, we manage to eat great pizza every week. On this page, I've gathered my favourite and best vegetarian recipes for great dough, the best sauce and
some great new ideas for vegetarian pizza toppings.
What About Vegetable Pizza?
As a vegetarian, I'm always surprised by the lack of imagination restaurants show when it comes to vegetarians.
The average menu has one, maybe two, generally pretty uninspiring veggie options on the menu. The meatier the better it seems.
But a great pie doesn't need meat as I'm sure you will agree. I'd even go so far as to say that loading up with meat is kind of missing the point.
After all, a classic Neapolitan pie is always meatless....
So here's my formula for the best veggie pizza...
#1 - Using A Pizza Stone To Cook Your Pie
First things first. For the best pizza, two pieces of equipment are essential - a baking stone and a pizza paddle or peel.
For cooking any vegetable pizza recipe, I strongly recommend using a pizza stone.
You will notice a huge difference in your crust - light, crisp and really authentic.
The other golden rule is to get your oven as hot as it will go. Remember a traditional pizza oven can average a temperature of 400C/800F so you really need to get your oven as hot as you can if you want an authentic crust. Don't worry. 250C/500F will give very good results. At this temperature, cooking should take about 8 minutes.
You'll Need A Pizza Peel
If you are using a pizza stone, placing the pie on the stone is best done with a pizza paddle or peel. Otherwise you are likely to end up with burnt fingers and a squishy pie.
You'll need to assemble your toppings on a well-floured peel and then slide the pie gently on to the stone. For more about peels and which type is best for home use, take a look at this page on pizza paddles and peels.
#2 - A Delicious And Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
The first and probably most important part of your vegetable pizza recipe is, of course, the dough. This easy pizza dough recipe is an excellent basis for any recipe and is my favourite choice but there are alternatives.
A whole wheat dough makes a really tasty and nutritious change from a classic crust. Try this recipe for whole wheat pizza dough for a wonderful and healthy pizza.
Speaking of healthy, if you are watching your fat intake, check out this fabulous recipe for low fat pizza crust.
Some people like to use a no yeast pizza dough. This is a really quick option and great if you are avoiding yeast in your diet.
#3 - The Best Pizza Sauce
I have to admit, sometimes I skip making a sauce altogether. I'm not a fan of commercial sauce but I do like to use a good quality passata which I buy in an Italian deli. It's wonderful and so easy. Spread it on your crust, season and sprinkle with oregano, then finish with your cheese and toppings. Especially good if you are in a hurry.
However, a good homemade pizza sauce can really
transform your pie. A simple pizza sauce recipe is so easy to
make, it's definitely worth the extra few minutes effort. What's the best
pizza sauce recipe? We've got the skinny on sauce.
#4 - Pizza Cheese
What's the best cheese for pizza?
Mozzarella, of course, is the classic choice and certainly the most popular in any vegetable pizza recipe. With good reason. It always gives
excellent results. I personally love good Italian mozzarella di bufala
on any vegetable pizza recipe. The flavour can't be beaten
but it is, however,
a fresh
cheese and therefore not always an option if you don't happen to live close to a herd of Italian buffalos!
Cow's mozzarella works well too and some people even insist that
supermarket (not fresh) mozzarella works best because it doesn't
hold so much moisture. There is some truth in that but I would
say that it can depend on what else you are putting on your
pie. If you are going to load up with toppings, regular
supermarket mozzarella is probably your best choice. If you are
going to go for a simple, but beautiful vegetable pizza recipe like a
classic
Margherita, go for buffalo mozzarella. Here, the cheese, the
tomatoes and the fresh basil are the stars so it's good to use the best
quality you can.
Mozzarella maybe king but there are lots of other great options.
Other Italian cheeses
Parmesan
Fontina
Taleggio
Ricotta
Grana Padano
Provolone
Note: many Italian cheeses are not actually vegetarian -
a lot of traditional producers continue to use animal rennet in the
cheese-making process so check before you buy if this is a
consideration for you. Read this page about vegetarian cheese for more info.
Vegan Pizza?
For vegan pizza, many strong flavoured vegetable pizza recipe toppings work just fine without cheese. However, if you love cheese on your pizza, vegan cheese is now a much better choice than it once was. Follow Your Heart is a very good cheese for melting. However, I think most vegans agree that the absolute best vegan cheese for pizza is Daiya's Mozzarella Style Shreds. Daiya cheese caused quite a stir when it launched a couple of years ago because unlike other vegan cheeses, Daiya really does melt and stretch like a traditional dairy cheese making it a perfect ingredient for a vegan pizza.
No Tomato Pizza?
Try this gorgeous pesto pizza recipe. It's made with a yummy homemade pesto and creamy fresh ricotta for a light but creamy pizza sauce.
#5 - The Best Veggie Pizza Toppings
The options are endless when it comes to toppings. From simple and classic to delicious gourmet, take a look at these wonderful veggie pizza recipe ideas.
And don't forget to check out my low fat pizza guide.
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