Homemade Vegetarian Pizza | A Recipe

Even with home schooling, I do have a little more time, primarily because my busy work schedule almost vanished overnight. I do have some projects that I’m able to photograph in my home studio and I’m working on some more online offerings, but like most people it’s a huge downshift to what it was and there’s no running around, jumping on trains or 2 hour car journeys here and there.

It’s taken me a little time to get into this new routine. I can’t think more than a few days in advance as doing this for the next 6 months feels very, very overwhelming. I know some peoples version of Home Schooling will be far more relaxed but my two need routine and structure. They like knowing what’s happening, that this happens on Tuesday and that happens of Friday. I didn’t think they’d do more than one session of PE with Joe, but they somehow expect that PE happens everyday at 9am - even though they miss out half the exercises and roll around and run about instead! So I’m keeping it going until they decide they want to stop.

Obviously nipping out to buy ingredients for recipes on a whim is no longer possible. So shooting for fun is restricted right now, although I do have an Easter idea I want to create and photograph if I find everything I need. So instead I’ve been digging into my archives. I had a huge amount of recipes on my old blog but when I transferred to SquareSpace it wouldn’t import my old data. I saved everything but never had the time to add them back in, until now! So I’m going to share some past recipes and images but it’s things that hopefully you have or can pick up now the supermarkets seem to have got a handle on the staples.

This pizza is my mums recipe, we made and shot it about 5 years ago but it’s the one recipe I make over and over, it’s just the best tasting pizza!

As with any pizza recipe, adapt it to suit your taste and what you have. It doesn’t have to be vegetarian either.

Vegetarian Pizza Recipe

For the dough

300g Strong Bread Flour

7g sachet of yeast

1 tsp of salt

1 tbsp Olive Oil

100ml warm water

Method

Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in the yeast and salt

Make a well in the flour and pour in the warm water and olive oil

Bring it all together with wooden spoon until you have soft, fairly wet dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put your ball of dough back into the bowl and cover with cling film (this works better than a tea towel as no air gets in and it prevents a skin from forming

Leave for 1 hour to prove / rise

WHILST PROVING BEGIN THE TOMATO SAUCE / ROASTING YOUR VEG (see below)

After an hour, the dough should have doubled or so in size, remove the cling film punch out the air then roll it out on lightly floured surface. Depending on your dish or baking tray you can have one large round/rectangle or make two smaller rounds/rectangles.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

1 tin of plum tomatoes

Fresh basil, torn

1 clove of garlic, crushed

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 heaped teaspoon of Sundried tomato paste

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of sugar

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the crushed garlic, making sure it doesn’t burn

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar, you now need to allow the sauce to reduce so you get a thick, concentrated sauce. Keep on a low heat, without a lid, for about an hour

Half way through add the torn basil. Once it’s ready remove from the heat and spread it evenly onto your dough

You can also double your quantities and freeze half, this sauce makes a great base for pasta dishes too.

Roasted Vegetables Pizza Topping

Baby Peppers x6 (leave whole)

1 Courgette, sliced

½ small Aubergine, sliced

½ Red Onion (cut into wedges)

1 Mozzarella, sliced

50g Cheddar, grated (add more or less depending on your cheese tastes)

Dried Thyme

Tbsp of Olive Oil

Kalamata olives, around 12 (add more if you wish)

Torn basil to decorate

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (Fan) 220 degrees (no fan)

Prepare all the vegetables and add to a large bowl with the oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well so everything is evenly coated. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 45 mins

To Assemble the Pizza

The dough is rolled into whatever shape/dish you have

Spread the tomato sauce (leave a little edge around the dough). Layer on the roasted vegetables, then the olives and add the cheese on top. Cook for around 15 mins.

When cooked, garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.