Every year February 9 is observed as National Pizza Day, celebrating the delectable oven-baked flatbread adorned with sauce and cheese. Pizza, be it the classic margarita, thin crust, or any other variation, is a universal favourite irrespective of age. Whether your taste leans towards the traditional mushrroms or you fancy something more adventurous like pineapple and jalapeno, there's no incorrect way to savour this delightful cheesy creation!
Here are 5 veg pizza recipes that you can try on this day:
1. Basil and Burrata Pizza (By Corporate Chef Agnibh Mudi, True Palate Hospitality Pvt. Ltd)
For Pizza Dough:
Ingredients:
- Refined flour 100 gm
- Water 600 ml
- Dry yeast 18 gm
- Salt 25 gm
- Sugar 30 gm
- Olive oil or Vegetable oil 30 ml
Method:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the refined flour, dry yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
- Slowly add the water while mixing to form a dough.
- Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Drizzle the oil over the dough and knead again for a minute until the oil is incorporated.
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Making the Pizza:
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough 280 gm (per pizza)
- Tomato sauce or Marinara sauce 120 gm
- Mozzarella cheese (shredded) 80 gm
- Burrata cheese (torn into pieces) 120 gm
- Fresh basil leaves 5 gm
- Extra virgin olive oil 5 ml
Method:
- Preheat your oven to the highest temperature setting, usually around 475°F to 500°F (245°C to 260°C). Place a pizza stone in the oven if you have one.
- Divide the risen dough into 280 gram portions for individual pizzas.
- Roll out each portion of dough into a 10-12 inch round on a lightly floured surface.
- Transfer the rolled-out dough to a pizza peel or a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Spread tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
- Place torn burrata cheese pieces on top of the mozzarella.
- Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle fresh basil leaves over the hot pizza, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Slice and serve hot.
2. Tandoori Twist Pizza (By Sarita Bazaz, Founder of The Food Affairs)
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Creamy Makhani Sauce
- Grilled paneer cubes (marinated in yogurt, tandoori masala, and lemon juice)
- Roasted bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange)
- Thinly sliced onions
- Chopped coriander
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- Garam masala
Method:
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Now spread the makhani sauce evenly on the pizza dough.
- Arrange the marinated paneer cubes, roasted bell peppers, and red onion slices on top.
- Generously sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and garam masala over.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Lastly, garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.
3. Mushroom, black olives and red onion square pizza (By Chef Vivek Tamhane, Senior Executive Chef, BLVD Club Bangalore)
Ingredients
- 10 gm dry yeast
- 250 ml warm water
- 500 gms flour
- 5 gm salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the fillings
- 300 gm mushrooms
- 5 gm black pepper
- 5 gm chopped garlic
- 50 ml fresh cream
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Salt to taste
For assembling pizza
- 1 no. red onion sliced
- 5-10 no black olives chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 150 shredded mozzarella cheese
Method for making pizza dough
- Mix yeast with warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minute, stir well.
- Add flour, salt, and olive oil to the bowl. When its sticky, knead dough for 5-10 minutes, add flour if needed.
- Keep it in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it be there for a one day (24 hrs)
- Sauté mushroom, garlic, black pepper, dried oregano, salt. Once done, take out the half quantity of the mushroom mixture in a food processor to make a smooth paste. Add fresh cream, salt if necessary,
- Slice the other half quantity of mushroom and keep it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 245 degrees C. Roll out the pizza dough that was prepared one day before, in a square shape and place on a baking pan.
- Spread mushroom sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with black olives, sliced red onion, mozzarella cheese, and red pepper flakes (if you like spicy).
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom of the pizza is crusty. Brush some olive oil on the edges of the pizza.
- Cool for some time before slicing and serving.
4. Signature salad pizza recipe (By Chef Deepak Bhatt, Ganga Kinare Rishikesh )
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk
- 100 grams tomato (for sauce)
- 100 grams mozzarella cheese
- 80 grams lettuce leaves
- 20 ml olive oil
- Pinch of crushed black pepper
- Leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale, arugula)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the fat-free milk until a dough forms.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rise for about 10-15 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a circle, forming the pizza crust.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet and bake it in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until it starts to set and lightly brown.
- Remove the crust from the oven and top it with mozzarella cheese.
- Return the pizza to the oven and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- While the pizza is baking, prepare the salad by tossing leafy greens and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and crushed black pepper.
- Once the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and top it with the prepared salad.
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the salad-topped pizza.
- Slice and serve your favourite signature salad pizza. Enjoy!
5. Pesto Vegetable Pizza (By Vijeesh - Executive Chef, Gawky Goose )
Ingredients:
For Culture:
- Flour- 600 Gm
- Water - 600 Gm
- Dry Yeast -10 Gm
For Pizza Dough:
- Water -600 Gm
- Flour- 1400 Gm
- Salt - 55 Gm
- Olive oil - 55 Ml
For Toppings:
- Pizza Sauce - 600 Ml
- Pizza Mozzarella - 750 Gm
- Bell peppers - 300 Gm
- Zucchini - 300 Gm
- Broccoli - 300 Gm
- Pesto Sauce - 250 Gm
- Olives - For garnish
- Basil leaves - For Garnish
- Sundried tomatoes - For garnish
- Arugula Leaves - For garnish
Method:
For making culture:
- Mix flour, water and pre-soaked yeast and make a dough, store in spacious container, rest it in a refrigerator and allow to prove for 24 hours.
For making Pizza dough:
- Add flour, water, salt, and olive oil in to previously made culture and make a dough.
- Portion the dough it in to 320 gm pieces and kneed it into smooth ball and place in a floured storage containers keeping a distance between each portion and rest it in a refrigerator and allow to prove for 08 to 12 hours.
For Making Pizza:
- Take out proven dough, place it on a floured surface and gently hand roll in to the shape of flat disc with the help of your fingers to make the pizza base.
- Spread the pizza sauce on the base, place the sautéed vegetables and grated cheese on the sauce and bake it on a pre heated oven.
- Once the pizza is ready drizzle some pesto sauce on top and garnish with sundried tomato, olives, basil, arugula and serve hot.
6. Andhra chilli margherita (By Deepanita, Executive Sous Chef, PIJJA)
Ingredients:
- Flour 100gm
- Dough starter 100gm
- Water 70ml
- Yeast 1gm
- Salt 5gm
- Oil 5gm
- Coriander cream 50gm
- Stracciatella 50gm
- Premium pizza mozzarella cheese 50gm
- Bhavnagri chillies 30gm
- Curd chilli flakes 5gm
- Red chilli slivers 5gm
Method:
- In a dough mixer, add Dough starter, 00 Flour, yeast and water and let it knead for 10 minutes.
- Add salt and oil and mix for another 10 minutes till enough gluten has formed in the dough.
- Let the dough rest for an hour, portion into 180gm dough balls and let it proof.
- Make the coriander cream by blitzing coriander, mint, green chillies and cream.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees celcius.
- Roll out the pizza dough, add the coriander cream as a base. Using a pizza peel, transfer the pizza into the oven and let it bake for 3 minutes.
- Add the bhavnagri chillies generously on top and bake it for another 2 minutes. Keep turning the pizza inside the oven for even baking.
- Garnish with curd chilli flakes, red chilli slivers, straciatella.