Vegan Pesto Pizza

I don't know about you, but I LOVE pizza. More than love, really. My lifelong affair with pizza has turned into an obsession, one that has only increased since going vegan. Pizza is such a renowned comfort food, and I was determined to create a vegan pizza that was a culinary taste sensation. After much kitchen trial and error, I finally perfected the art. From a handmade garlic crust to garden-grown pesto, I promise you that this pizza will have you screaming UMAMI!

The Crust

¼ t. yeast (This is equivalent to one packet of yeast.)

1 c. warm water

2 c. flour

2-3 T. garlic powder

1 t. salt

2 t. sugar

2 T. olive oil

Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water and let sit for approximately 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and sugar. Once the yeast has dissolved, pour the yeast/water mixture into the flour and add the olive oil. Mix together (This is done easiest with your hands) until the dough forms a rough ball shape, but be careful to not over mix it. Once formed, leave the ball of dough in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel, and let it sit in a warm place for 20-30 minutes. Now, go make the pesto.

The Pesto

¾ c. nuts (I rather like roasted and salted almonds for this, but pine nuts and walnuts work well too.)

2-3 cloves of garlic

1-2 t. salt

3 c. whole basil leaves

¼ c. olive oil (You may need more.)

Place the nuts, garlic, and salt into a food processor and process for a few seconds. Add the basil leaves and process until the mixture forms a paste. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and add the olive oil, mixing until it reaches a desirable consistency. This will make more pesto than you'll need for the pizza. I often like to add pesto to pasta sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

By this time, check on the pizza dough. Usually, if it has started to puff up, I'll transfer it to a floured counter, divide it into two halves (the second half freezes well for another day), and begin kneading it. You only need to knead it until it reaches a smooth and elastic texture. If you over work it, the dough will be tough to work with when you pound/stretch it out. Once it has been kneaded, pound it into a flat, six inch disk, flipping it over a few times so it doesn't stick to the counter. Transfer it to an oiled pizza pan and stretch the dough out to a desired size. I usually stretch it out into a 14-16 inch crust, so the dough gets really thin. While this makes it incredibly crispy and flaky once baked, it also makes it prone to forming holes. After stretching out the dough (and filling in any holes!), prick the surface of the crust with a fork several times. Pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the crust just begins to brown. While it's in the oven, prepare the rest of the toppings.

The Toppings

1 tomato, chopped

½ - 1 c. Morningstar Farms Sausage-Style Soy Crumbles

¼ onion, chopped

10-12 black olives, sliced (more if you tend to eat them as you slice them)

Once the pizza is out of the oven, spread a thin layer of pesto to within ¼ to ½ inch from the edge of the crust. Sprinkle on the chopped tomato, the soy crumbles, the chopped onion, and the sliced black olives. Pop it back into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the top is bubbling.

Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, and then dig in!

This recipe has also been featured in my blog: A Vegan Life