Linda Voorhis - Veganification

Home-Made Pizza Made Easy (While Not Sacrificing Taste or Texture)

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Ingredients

Sponge:
• 2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( or 1 package)
• 1 cup lukewarm water (about 98 degrees Fahrenheit)
• 1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour (I use double zero)
Dough:
• 1 sponge
• 4-1/2 cups flour (again, use the double zero)
• 1 cup lukewarm water (about 98 degrees Fahrenheit)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sea salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the sponge ingredients.
2. Whisk well to combine.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. It should be foamy and active. If not, it could be that the water was too cool and needs more time, water was too hot so yeast is dead, or the yeast is old. You’ll need to start over.
5. I use a food processor for this next step, and it comes out perfectly every time. You could use an electric mixer with a dough hook. Or, you could go old-school and mix by hand and then knead, but the modern day appliances are a marvel in terms of cutting down on time and laborious effort. Into the food processor, add the flour and salt. Pulse to combine.
6. Add the water, olive oil, and sponge. Process using the ‘dough’ setting. It will quickly come together in a sticky ball.
7. Turn out on a lightly floured board. Flour your hands. Knead dough for 5-6 minutes, adding more flour if kneaded (needed). I find that a bench scraper is helpful if your dough is sticking to the counter; but it rarely does with this recipe. It typically comes together quickly and needs only a nominal amount of flour added during the kneading. I actually think the end product is far better with less rather than more flour added (but that also depends on the moisture level in your flour, in the air in your kitchen, and the grain of flour used).
8. You can either divide the dough into 2 pieces for two regular-size pizzas or into 4 pieces for individual pies. Either way, roll the balls by shaping them and rounding them, pinching at the bottom to seal seams. Place on lightly floured cookie sheet, cover with a towel (not terry fabric as it will stick), and allow to rise for 2 hours.
9. I opted for two large pies, storing one ball in the refrigerator for use within the next day or so; and moved on to creating dinner. The dough was easy to form on the pizza pan, which I lightly dusted with flour. I am not adept at tossing in the air, so I use my fingers and the stretching-and-pulling method to shape my dough. Next, on to the toppings.
10. Earlier in the day and with the garden bounty, I made fresh tomato sauce using tomatoes, onions, parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and basil, all freshly picked and taken straight to the kitchen. To them, I added some garlic and red wine. This tomato sauce became the base for all the other ingredients.
11. Front and center, and again fresh-picked from garden, were zucchini sliced thin, onions, oregano, basil, and jalapeno. Additional accoutrements included roasted garlic, vegan bacon, Kalamata olives, green olives, and Mikoyo’s Kitchen mozzarella.

Notes