Pesto Pizza

Making your own pizza dough is totally worth the effort. I love getting my hands on the dough and kneading it, I love the smell of it baking, and I love the fresh taste.

This recipe does have several steps, but if you plan it out, it is totally manageable. Your hard work will be rewarded with a delicious meal at the end that is sure to impress even the most discriminating omni palette.

Right now fresh basil and tomatoes are at the peak of the growing season in Colorado and the fresh ingredients make this pizza stand out.

Vegan Pesto Pizza

Plan for the following steps:

Make the pizza dough - 24 hours ahead
Blend the pesto
Chop the veggies
Bake the pizza

Pizza Dough Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 package active dry yeast (1 tbsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Pizza Dough Directions:

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to start foaming.

Next, stir in the olive oil, salt, whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. This should start to pull together into a shaggy dough. Turn this dough out onto a floured board and knead it for 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary so it doesn't stick. You are working towards a soft elastic dough that is slightly sticky. You add just enough flour to keep it from sticking to the board and that's it.

Form the dough into a ball and put it in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and turn the dough in the bowl a few times to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl and let it sit in a warm spot for an hour or two. You want it to double in size. Punch the dough down and form it into a ball again. This time cover and refrigerate the dough for 24 hours.

Pesto Ingredients:

3 cups basil
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup vegan parmesan (I prefer GoVeggie brand)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
pinch of salt

Pesto Directions:

Dump it all in a powerful blender and blend until well incorporated but not completely smooth.

Pizza Directions:

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.

Punch down your dough, and divide it in half. Roll out the dough on a floured board and spread the pesto over the dough. Add any other toppings of your choice; fresh tomato, onions, and mushrooms are some of my favorites. Bake in the oven on a pizza stone or cookie sheet for 12-14 minutes.

For 12 pieces. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 80 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  241 Calories from Fat  104

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  11.6g 18%

Saturated Fat  1.6g 8%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  402mg 17%

Potassium  72mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates  26.8g 9%

Dietary Fiber  1.2g 5%

Sugars  0.8g

Protein  6.9g

Vitamin A 12% • Vitamin C 2% Calcium 8% • Iron 10%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet