Recipes
Vegan Pesto and Mozzarella Pizza
6min read
If pasta with pesto is good, then you can imagine how good pizza with pesto is. Whether you make it fresh for this, or use your favourite store-bought pesto, the pizza will be delicious and impossible to put down.
This recipe makes four pizzas, but if you're after just one pizza my tip is to freeze three portions of dough after step three below, rather than try to divide it by four. That way, you can have pizza three! more! times! without having to mix and knead dough all over again. You're also very welcome to mix and match pizzas if you don't want all four with pesto. Head here for a great margherita pizza recipe and here for a cheesy mushroom pizza.
Prep Time
30 mins (+rising)
Cook Time
14 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
Dough:
450g bread flour
1 ½ tsp fast action yeast
1 tsp salt
285ml water
2 tbsp olive oil
Pesto:
60g pine nuts or cashews, toasted
2 large bunch basil (around 80g)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
80ml olive oil
Topping:
400g vegan mozzarella (Mozzarisella is my favourite)
40g fresh rocket
Vegan parmesan, optional
Method
STEP 1
In a large bowl or stand mixer combine flour, yeast and salt. If mixing by hand, pour the wet ingredients in and incorporate until just combined. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 12 minutes, until it’s soft and springy.
STEP 2
If using a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients and mix on high for 8 minutes. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a damp towel or cling film. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
STEP 3
Once risen, tip the dough back onto a surface and divide it into 4 portions. Form each piece into a ball, then place them onto a tray - a couple cm away from each other.
STEP 4
Cover with a damp tea towel or cling film again, and let rise for another hour.
STEP 5
While the dough rises, prepare the pesto. Add nuts, basil, garlic and salt to a food processor and mix, scraping the sides down if necessary, until the basil and nuts are completely broken down. Add the lemon juice and with the mixer running, drizzle in the olive oil.
STEP 6
Preheat the oven to 230˚C.
STEP 7
Place one dough ball onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out as thin as possible. Transfer the rolled out base onto an oiled baking tray or pizza stone.
STEP 8
Layer the pizza evenly with dollops of pesto and ¼ of the vegan mozzarella. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the mozzarella and crust and golden. Repeat with the remaining pizza bases.
STEP 9
Top the pizza with fresh rocket while it’s still warm, and grated vegan parmesan if using.
By Valentina Concordia
Valentina is our Food Editor, who dreams up our tasty dishes and recipes for our social channels. She has loads of experience cooking up a storm in Italian kitchens, so it’s no surprise she can’t live without good-quality olive oil (don’t come between her and her olive oil) and fresh pasta.
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