Vegan Pizza50 Cheesy, Crispy, Healthy Recipes

Julie Hasson is the author of 7 cookbooks, including Vegan Diner and The Complete Book of Pies. She has over 20 years of experience in the food industry, including attending UCLA’s Culinary Arts/Professional Chef program, working at the famed Patina restaurant in Los Angeles, and serving as a private chef for celebrities and high-profile clients. Julie opened the original Babycakes Bakery (a wholesale bakery that supplied Los Angeles restaurants and coffeehouses with artisan baked goods); authored cookbooks; has contributed extensive articles and recipes to Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, and Family Fun magazines; and is also the host of the popular Internet cooking show Everyday Dish. Julie has been featured in print, and on TV and radio, including the Cooking Channel; Good Food America; Better, Better Portland; Good Day Oregon; Martha Stewart Living Radio; VegNews Magazine; and Vegetarian Times, as well as numerous radio and TV shows across the country. Julie is currently the Healthy Living Expert on Good Day Oregon, and was one of the hosts of the TV cooking show 15 & Done. Julie and her husband, Jay, run a hip little food cart in Portland, Oregon, called Native Bowl.

“Vegans, rejoice—Julie Hasson has given pizza a plant-strong makeover. With a dazzling array of globally inspired toppings, pizza night will be healthier—and more fun—than ever before!”
—Nava Atlas, author of Wild About Greens and Vegan Holiday Kitchen

 

“Julie Hasson has brought her incredibly talented baking skills and vegan ethos over to the savory side with this compelling and thorough take on vegan artisan pizza. Classic pizzas such as garlic, sausage, and onion pizzas are reimagined and every bit as flavorful and toothsome as their traditional counterparts. i’m ready to make seasonal, vegetable-laden pizzas such as a corn, pesto, zucchini, and tomato pizza or even a sweet potato and kale pizza for my next pizza party. These are appealing, fun, and doable recipes for the vegan pizzaiolo at home.”
—Diane Morgan, author of Roots: The Definitive Compendium

 

“Julie Hasson has broken all the rules for pizza and taken it to uncharted territory. no longer is it about gooey cheese and tired toppings—it’s about combinations of flavors so fun and original that it boggles the mind. How about a Korean Bibimbap or Chili Mac pizza? or one that marries peanut butter with barbecue sauce for a peanut Barbecue pizza? if you want the classics, you’ll find those, too. after reading Julie’s recipes, who needs pepperoni?”
—Miyoko Schinner, author of Artisan Vegan Cheese and co-host of Vegan Mashup

Spinach, Onion, Mushroom, and Pepperoni Pizza

Easy-Peasy Pizza Dough

 

 

Spinach, Onion, Mushroom, and Pepperoni Pizza

 

Makes 1 large (14- to 15-inch) pizza or 2 individual (about 11 inch) thin-crust pizzas

 

1 batch pizza dough (recipe below)

½ cup Tomato-Garlic Pizza Sauce

¾ to 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella-style cheese

About 1 ½ ounces fresh baby spinach

About 1 cup sliced button or cremini mushrooms

About 2 ½ cups Pepperoni Crumbles

About ⅓ red onion, thinly sliced

 

1 Preheat the oven, preferably with a pizza stone inside, to 500°F for 30 minutes, while getting the pizza ready.

 

2 Divide your dough into 2 even pieces. Keep 1, and return 1 to the bucket, cover, and refrigerate for later use. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out your dough into 1 large or 2 small rounds, as thin as you can get it. I like to make my small pizzas about 11 inches and my large between 14 and 15 inches. Don’t worry if your dough tears. Simply patch it back together with your fingers. Lightly dust with additional flour if the dough is too sticky. Try not to use too much, or your crust will be very dry. Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to a large sheet of parchment paper.

 

3 Spread the tomato sauce (about ¼ cup for each small pizza, and about ½ cup for a large) evenly on the pizza, leaving a ¼- to ½-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce, and top with an even layer of the spinach and mushrooms. Sprinkle an even layer of the Pepperoni Crumbles on top of the mushrooms and top with the onion slices. If making 2 small pizzas, repeat with the remaining pizza.

 

4 Carefully transfer the pizza and parchment paper to the pizza stone, if using. Otherwise, place the pizza on a baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven. If making 2 small pizzas, repeat with the remaining pizza.

 

5 Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust looks fairly darkish brown. If it’s not done, continue baking for a few more minutes.

 

6 Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before cutting into slices, and serve right away.

 

 

Easy-Peasy Pizza Dough

 

Makes 2 large (14- to 15-inch) or 4 individual (about 11-inch) thin-crust pizzas

 

3 cups (408 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt

2 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast, at room temperature

1 ¼ cups (277 grams) warm water (110° to 120°F)

2 tablespoons (20 grams) extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons (32 grams) agave syrup, or 2 tablespoons (24 grams) light brown sugar, packed

 

1 In a large bowl or a food-safe 4-quart plastic Cambro bucket, combine the flour and salt, mixing well with a fork. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the dry mixture, and add the warm water, olive oil, and agave or sugar, and stir with a fork until everything is combined well and there are no traces of flour left. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water as necessary to make a soft, moist dough. There is no need to knead this dough.

 

2 Cover the bowl or bucket with plastic wrap or a fitted lid, and set aside in a warm place to rise for 2 to 3 hours (or up to 6 hours). At this point, you can also refrigerate it, covered, for up to 5 days, or divide the dough into 2 or 4 pieces and freeze them in a sealed zip-top bag (with room for dough expansion) for up to 2 weeks. Thaw the frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before shaping.

 

3 Shape and bake the pizza according to the recipe directions.

 

Variation: For even more flavorful dough, reduce the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon, and let rise for about 18 hours before using or refrigerating to use at a later time.

 

Recipes from Vegan Pizza by Julie Hasson/Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC