Vegan Pizza Margherita Food

VEGAN PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Put the flour, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Measure 150ml of cold water and 150ml boiling water into a jug and mix them together - this will mean your water is a good temperature for the yeast. Add the oil and 1 tsp salt to the warm water then pour it over the flour. Stir well with a spoon then start to knead the mixture together in the bowl until it forms a soft and slightly sticky dough. If it's too dry add a splash of cold water.
• Dust a little flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 10 mins. Put it back in the mixing bowl and cover with cling film greased with a few drops of olive oil. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C/gas 9 and put a baking sheet or pizza stone on the top shelf to heat up. Once the dough has risen, knock it back by punching it a couple of times with your fist then kneading it again on a floured surface. It should be springy and a lot less sticky. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
• Put all the ingredients for the tomato sauce together in a bowl, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if you like and mix well. Set aside until needed.
• Divide the dough into 2 or 4 pieces (depending on whether you want to make large or small pizzas), shape into balls and flatten each piece out as thin as you can get it with a rolling pin or using your hands. Make sure the dough is well dusted with flour to stop it sticking. Dust another baking sheet with flour then put a pizza base on top - spread 4-5 tbsp of the tomato sauce on top and add some sliced tomatoes and grated vegan cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in the oven on top of your preheated baking tray for 10-12 mins or until the base is puffed up and the vegan cheese has melted and is bubbling and golden in patches.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough and topping. Serve the pizzas with fresh basil leaves or chilli oil if you like and sprinkle over vegan parmesan just after baking.

VEGAN PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk 1/4 cup water and flaxseed meal together in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until fall-apart tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Let cool, at least 10 minutes.
• Grind oats, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder together in a food processor until flourlike in texture.
• Place cooled cauliflower in a fine cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Add pressed cauliflower to the bowl with the flaxseed-water mixture and stir well. Stir in the oat mixture. Form dough into a ball and place onto the lined baking sheet.
• Press dough ball down into a circle. Lay a sheet of parchment on top and roll dough flat using a rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thick.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; leave oven on.
• Place cashews into a pot with water to cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain.
• Puree boiled cashews, 1 1/4 cups fresh water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder in a blender. Pour puree into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, and black pepper. Simmer marinara sauce until flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
• Fill blender halfway with marinara sauce. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with any remaining marinara sauce.
• Spread marinara sauce over the cauliflower crust; top with the 'mozzarella cheese' and add cherry tomatoes.
• Bake in the hot oven until sauce is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Top with basil.

VEGAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare the pizza crust, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add the water and use a spoon or your hands to mix everything into a shaggy dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead a few times. At this point, you can transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead on medium-high for 5 minutes, or you can continue to knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it has a silky smooth surface and can be stretched without tearing easily.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl that's been well coated with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap. At this point, you can keep the dough covered in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you are ready to bake, allow the dough to rise in a warm part of your home for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
• Prepare the cashew mozzarella, place the drained cashews into a food processor and pulse briefly until the cashews break down into a coarse meal. Scrape down the bowl of the processor and add salt and lemon juice. Continue processing the cashews as you drizzle 1/3 cup water into the processor's spout. Process the cashews for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl. You're aiming for a texture that's slightly looser than hummus; add an extra tablespoon or two of water as needed. When the cashew mixture is creamy but easily spreadable, stop and season it to taste with black pepper.
• Heat oven to 500 degrees. Place a pizza stone, baking steel or sheet pan turned upside-down in your oven and heat it to 500 degrees.
• When the oven is ready and your dough has doubled in size, divide your dough into two pieces and shape them into balls. Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll each piece of dough into a 10-inch round.
• Transfer one round to a piece of floured parchment or a well-floured pizza peel. Spread a scant cup of the tomato or pizza sauce onto the dough. Add about 5 or 6 heaping tablespoons of the cashew mozzarella to the pizza. Use the back of your spoon to spread each dollop into a flat circle.
• Use your pizza peel to transfer the pizza, or carefully transfer the parchment paper with the pizza on top, to your preheated pizza stone, baking steel or baking sheet. Bake each pizza for 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Top the pizza with basil leaves, if using, and serve.

VEGAN MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• For the mozzarella:.
• Soak the cashews in water overnight or place in a pot of boiling water and boil on the stove for 15 minutes to soften. Drain.
• Add the soaked cashews to the jug of a high speed blender along with the rest of the mozzarella ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
• Pour into a medium pot and place on the stove over a medium-low heat. Cook until thickened, about 5-10 minutes, then pour into a bowl and set aside - this will thicken as it cools.
• For the pizza dough:.
• Mix the water and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast then pour in the flour and salt. Stir to get a shaggy dough. Pour a bit of oil into the bowl then lift up the dough and turn it over to coat it completely in oil. Cover with a damp towel and leave somewhere warm for 2-3 hours until doubled in volume.
• For the tomato sauce:.
• In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce ingredients. Stir together and set aside.
• To make the pizzas:.
• Split the dough into quarters and roll into balls - set aside for 30 minutes to rest, this will make the dough easier to work with.
• Lightly flour a countertop and place a ball of dough onto it. Dust with more flour. Use your hands to pat the dough down and then roll out into a large circle about 1/4-inch thick. You can use your hands to help gently stretch the dough until it's thin enough. Transfer the circle of dough to a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until golden. Repeat with the rest of the dough so all your bases are baked.
• Spread a few tablespoons of tomato sauce onto each pizza base. Top with dollops of the 'mozzarella' and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt and black pepper then place each pizza back into the oven, one at a time, for 5-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the 'cheese' is starting to brown. Top with fresh basil and serve immediately.