Veg Pizza at home

Make veg pizza from scratch at home. You can make the dough and sauce yourself. The aroma of freshly baked pizza is so magical. Making homemade thick crust pizza from scratch is definitely a tedious long process but once you make it you will love it. It is going to be your favorite Sunday or weekend special.

Prep Time 2 hrs 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Servings 3

Equipment

• Convection Microwave
• Hand Blender

Main Ingredients  

• Maida (All Purpose Flour)
• Dry Instant Yeast
• Pizza Cheese
• Oregano
• Butter
• Basil Leaves

Keyword Homemade Pan Pizza, Homemade Pizza Dough, Make Pizza At Home

Ingredients for Pizza Base:

• 3 cups Maida (All Purpose Flour)
• 280 – 300 ml Water
• 2 tblsp Sugar
• 2 tblsp Olive Oil / Ghee
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Instant Yeast

Ingredients for Pizza Sauce:

• 1 medium Onion
• 3 – 4 large Tomatoes
• 10 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 2 tsp Tomato Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Barbecue Sauce (optional)
• 2 tsp Sriracha / Red Chilli Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt to taste
• Fresh Basil Leaves / Dry Basil Powder

Ingredients for Pizza Toppings:

• 1 Onion sliced
• 1 Tomato sliced ( seeds removed)
• 2 tsp Olives sliced
• 1/4 Bell Peppers (Red & Yellow)
• 1/4 Green Capsicum
• Loads of mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil

How to Make Pizza Base :

1. In a microwave safe bowl heat 100 ml of water at 30 seconds. Take it out and now add sugar. Stir it and let the sugar dissolve. This process will allow the water to become lukewarm. Just the right temperature for the yeast to bloom. IMPORTANT : DO NOT add salt at this point. This will kill the yeast.
   1. Now add the 2 tsp yeast and mix well. Cover it and put it back in the microwave for next 10 mins or till it froths.
      
      
2. If that this point the yeast does not froth discard the yeast mixture and start again.
3. While the yeast is blooming, in a wide bowl, add maida, salt and keep it ready.
4. Also lukewarm the rest of the 180 ml water.
5. Once the yeast blooms, add this liquid to the maida and add the remaining lukewarm water and start kneading. Initially the dough will be highly sticky. But do not add any extra maida. As you keep kneading the dough will get pliable.
   1. Now move this dough to a clean kitchen counter. Start to knead this dough from the f base of your palm. Stretch and pull. Knead the dough for exactly 6 – 8 mins. No compromise on that for a restaurant style pan crust pizza base. After 2 mins add 1 tblsp of oil and knead further. After some time add the remaining oil and continue kneading.
      
      
6. Once the dough is kneaded make a ball and put it in a clean big bowl. Brush the bowl with oil and place the dough in it to rise. Smear the remaining oil on the dough. Cover it with a tight lid or plate and let the dough ferment.
7. This should take approximately 2 – 3 hours depending upon the weather conditions.
8. After 2 hours the dough will get double in size.
9. Now punch the dough. and knead it again for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into equal 3-4 potions and roll like a pizza base. The base should not be thicker than 1 cm.
10. Now place them on greased baking tray. Cover them with a towel and let them rise again.
11. The pizza base will double in size.

How to Make Pizza Sauce :

1. In a pan heat some butter and add the chopped tomatoes, onions and peeled garlic. Add salt. Cover the pan and let it cook for 10 mins or till the tomatoes get soft.
2. Now let the tomatoes get cool. Once cool with the help of a blender make a fine paste of this mixture.
3. Switch on the fire and start cooking this tomato sauce on low flame. Add all the sauces. Mix well and let the sauce thicken. Once the sauce gets thick switch off the flame and let the sauce cool. Add some fresh basil leaves.

How to Make Assemble the pizza :

1. First Preheat the pizza at 200 C.
2. Now take the rolled pizza base and apply butter on the outer edge of the pizza base.
3. Now with the help of a fork make few holes. Otherwise the pizza base will rise unevenly.
4. Apply 1 tsp pizza sauce. Do not apply too much sauce. Otherwise the pizza will come out soggy.
5. Sprinkle little grated cheese.
6. Now sprinkle all the toppings – bell peppers, onions and tomatoes.
7. Add a generous amount of grated pizza cheese. Now place the olives.
8. Drizzle some olive oil.
9. Place this pizza in the preheated oven.
10. Bake the pizza for 15 – 20 mins. or till the cheese melts and base looks brown.
11. Once you take the pizza sprinkle the oregano and some fresh basil leaves.

What To Serve With Pizza :

Serve pizza with any cold beverage or garlic bread or baked potatoes.

Storage Tips :

You can store the pizza dough in freezer for 15 days. You can even store fully made pizza in freezer for 15 days.

Reheating Tips :

Before reusing thaw the pizza dough or pizza. If using pizza dough follow the rest of the instructions. If using fully baked pizza heat it for 5 mins in microwave.