Perfect Veggie Pizza

Thus, this post is technically a re-post of something I made with Sam back in December.  However, the technique is slightly different–this pizza is baked, not grilled–and the photos are stunning (thank you fancy new camera!).  If prepared properly, this veggie pizza recipe makes a 13-14 inch pie (8 slices) that is loaded with spices, and vegetarian flavors.

Perfect Veggie Pizza
This recipe comes from no chef in particular, but the dough recipe is a wheat version of Elise Bauer’s pizza dough concoction over at Simply Recipes (you can find it here).  I usually make this pizza dough recipe in bulk and freeze it in single serving tupperware containers.  As the semester goes on and life becomes increasingly hectic, I take out the dough in the morning so that by dinner time, all I have to do is build the pizza.  You’d be surprised how quickly preparing gourmet pizza can be with simple planning and the help of your Kitchenaid mixer (for preparing/kneading large quantities of dough)!

Ingredients:
* 1 serving prepared wheat pizza dough recipe
* Cornmeal, for dusting
* 1-2 cups tomato sauce
* 2-3 cups cheese: mixture of fresh parmesan and mozzarella
* Toppings: vine ripe tomatoes, bella mushrooms, chopped onion, spinach, olives, and chopped green and red bell peppers
* 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
* 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground thyme
* 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
* 1/4 cup pine nuts
* freshly cracked pepper & Tony’s Cajun Seasoning, to taste

Special Equipment needed:
Pizza Stone

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Begin by dusting your pizza stone with corn meal.

2.) Lightly flour a clean working surface.

3.) Roll out your pizza dough to 13-14 inches in diameter.  Pizza dough that is pre-prepared, frozen, and thawed is very easy to work with; whereas, if you had just made the pizza dough from scratch, this step would take you twice as long because of the natural elasticity of the freshly made dough.

4.) Transfer dough to pizza stone.  Thoroughly poke holes in dough using a fork.  Drizzle dough with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and smooth with a large spoon.

5.) Add sauce.  I suggest anywhere from 1-2 cups based on your preference (some people HATE large quantities of sauce and some people love it, so add as much as you like).

6.) Season the sauce and dough mixture with half of the thyme and half of the italian seasoning.  Add freshly minced/pressed garlic and crack some pepper over the surface of the pizza.  Dust with Tony’s and sprinkle on pine nuts.

7.) Now, begin adding your toppings: mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, onions, spinach, and peppers.  Sprinkle your remaining seasonings–thyme and Italian–and dust with Tony’s and freshly cracked pepper.

8.) Cover in cheese.

9.) Cook on pizza stone, but in oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until crust and toppings are golden brown.  Remove from oven, allow to cool for several minutes, and cut into 8 pieces.

10.) Serve with freshly grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and your favorite beer.  Enjoy!