California Veggie Pizza

We are heading towards North American cuisine this month for the International Food Challenge, an event started by Shobana and Saras and we are cooking from the California region. As a result of varied range of micro-climates, the lifestyle in California promotes health conscious diets and use of fresh organic produce. This month’s host Joanne of What’s On The List suggested some classic recipes from the California cuisine and I picked the famous California pizza.

California-style pizza is a fusion of New York and Italian thin crust with toppings from the California cuisine cooking style. California-style pizza focuses on using nontraditional pizza ingredients and fresh produce. California Pizza Kitchen is one of the major pizza franchises associated with California-style pizza and this veggie pizza recipe is one on their menu. This pizza is laden with fresh vegetables, mozzarella and goat cheese on a honey wheat pizza crust. Let’s see how to make this California-style veggie pizza. Recipe adapted from here.

California Veggie Pizza

Honey-wheat crust pizza with eggplant, broccoli, mushrooms, red onions, sun-dried tomato, corn and mozzarella

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Servings 9 ” pizza

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the pizza

• ½ tsp dried yeast
• ¼ cup + ½ tsp warm water
• ½ cup bread flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 ½ tsp honey
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp olive oil

For the toppings

• 1 large Japanese eggplant
• 100 grams white mushroom
• 1 small bunch baby broccoli
• ¼ cup frozen corn kernels thawed
• ½ small red onion thinly sliced
• 2 halves sun-dried tomatoes strips
• 4 tbsp marinara/pizza sauce
• 1 ½ cups grated Mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt pepper
• ¼ cup goat cheese optional

Instructions

To make the dough

• Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour the liquids. Combine the ingredients using a wooden spoon. Then lightly oil your hand and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will be lightly sticky at this stage.
• Lightly oil the dough ball and the interior of a bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl and seal the bowl air tight with a cling wrap. Set aside at room temperature to rise until double in size, about 1 ½ – 2 hours.
• After the dough had doubled, punch down the dough and form into a round ball. Place in the same bowl and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the dough from refrigerator 2 hours before assembling the pizza. Sprinkle flour on the dough and on the working surface. Roll the dough into 9-inch diameter, ½-inch thick circle.
• Pinch the dough between your fingers all around the edge of the circle, forming a  rim that rises about 1/4-inch above the center surface of the dough.

To make the toppings

• Cut the eggplant into ¼-inch-thick slices. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill them for 2 minutes or until tender.
• Cut the mushrooms into ¼- inch thick slices. Heat oil in a pan and toss the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat until all liquid has evaporated and the edges begin to brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cut the broccoli into small florets and blanch them in boiling water for a minute. Drain and plunge into cold water. Once cool, drain and set aside.8. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Heat a small pan over high heat and roast the corn kernels for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To assemble the pizza

• Preheat the oven to 200 C | 400 F. Place the rolled pizza on a floured pizza pan. Spread the sauce to within 1 inch of the outer edge of the dough. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Then place the eggplant, followed by mushrooms, onion and sun-dried tomato. Sprinkle corn and top with broccoli.
• Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the pizza. If using goat cheese, break it into small pieces and distribute over the pizza.
• Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese at the center is melted.

Notes

• Do not put salt directly into the yeast water because this would kill some of the yeast.
• Do not over mix the dough as it will  produce tough and rubbery dough.
• You can use the dough after the first rise. But keeping it overnight makes the dough more chewy and flavorful.
• You can make the normal pizza dough recipe instead of honey wheat dough. Note that the honey wheat dough tends to rise more slowly.
• You can use normal eggplant also. If using large ones, halve them and slice. Also go for normal broccoli if baby broccoli is not available.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American