After all the baking and partying (such as it was) of the new year, time for something a bit different. My fellow foodies theme this month is “Veganuary,” meaning vegetarian dishes with no eggs or dairy products. I’ve been wanting to make this garlic bruschetta pizza for a while anyway, and it happens to fit the theme too.
It’s downsized for one person, so there’s either enough for one large pizza or two medium ones (one dinner or two lunches, depending on how hungry you are).
All you need are a few simple ingredients that come together for a pretty impressive result. I’ve included the recipe for the dough, but if you don’t want to make the dough yourself (I find the kneading therapeutic right now), you can always just buy it ready-made in your supermarket or even ask at a local pizza place.
And, if you don’t want to be vegan, it’s just fine to add some shredded mozzarella or parmesan on top.
Garlic Bruschetta Pizza
Dairy-free easy homemade pizza with a garlicky kick and crunchy sweet pepper.
Notes
1) This is enough for two small pizzas or one medium one. I’ve made a small one using half the dough, and froze the rest.
2) If you don’t have a pizza cutter, use a pair of kitchen scissors to slice the pizza.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough (enough for two small, or one medium pizza)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 1/2 tsp instant yeast)
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water (you may need 1 or 2 T more)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Topping (enough for one small, double it for entire batch of dough)
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 tsp dried basil (or double the amount fresh)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (depending on size)
- 1 T bell pepper, chopped
Instructions
Dough
- Combine all the dry ingredients (everything except the water and oil) into a bowl and stir it all together.
- Pour in the water and olive oil, stirring until it forms a rough ball.
- Sprinkle additional flour on a board or countertop.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead on the board until it becomes smooth and holds together. This should take about a minute. Don’t clean up.
- Oil the same bowl (about a capful) and return the ball of dough to the bowl. Roll the ball around the inside of the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a clean plastic bag.
- Allow the dough to rise for about an hour until it is twice its original size.
- Take the dough out of the bowl, put it back on the floured board. Push it flat with your hands to remove excess air bubbles. Then roll it back up into a ball, return it to the bowl again and let it sit for another twenty minutes, covered with the wrap or bag.
- Place the dough in a pizza stone, baking sheet, or a nonstick shallow pan, pressing and pushing outward with your fingertips to form a circle. If you have a nonstick pan, you're good to go. If not, sprinkle it with cornmeal or farina to keep the pizza from sticking.
Topping
- Mix the garlic, olive oil and basil together in a small bowl.
- Pour the mixture over the pizza and spread it around evenly with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle the chopped bell pepper on top
Baking
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees
- Place pizza in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Garlic Bruschetta Pizza Substitutions and Variations
- add some fresh chopped tomatoes
- ditch the “vegan” and try it with grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella
- use fresh basil (add it right at the end of the cooking period)
- top with sautéed onions and/or mushrooms
More Pizza Recipes
Mellowed sweet onions, slow-cooked onions, earthy goat cheese, leafy spinach, and crispy bell pepper are a fresh change from the usual cheese and tomato.
White Pizza Recipe Without Ricotta
If you like white pizza, but would rather skip the ricotta (I’m not a big fan either), try this recipe instead. No ricotta in sight.
Rosemary Potato Roasted Garlic Pizza
Think of this as potato chip pizza. I, personally, am always in favor of extra starch. You get hot pizza, a light dusting of melty cheese, and a crispy crunch.
