PIZZA ROSSA
It’s time for pizza! Of course, we had to put our #PlantBasedSlay spin on this classic, savory dish. Mama Paige whipped up not one but two sets – yes, sets- of pizzas for the May collection. I could not be more proud of and excited for her creations! Thanks also to Papa Paige and Kieychia for helping Mama Paige with her marathon cooking. Now, let’s get into these pizzas!
Mama Paige fondly called this set of pizzas Pizza Rossa due to their robust red sauce. Our version of Pizza Rossa uses plant-based cheeses instead of dairy-based cheese and a thick and flavorful tomato sauce. Making pizza at home is a great way to have pizza your way! It is fun experimenting with flavor combinations. Some combinations you might not find at your local pizzeria. Don’t worry if you like red sauce; we have you covered in the Pizza Bianca post.
In this recipe, we provide the basics – the dough and the sauce – and a few of our favorite pizza topping combinations. You can find the at-home plant-based cheese recipes in our How-To post. Feel free to make this recipe as a base for your favorite toppings. Don’t forget to post your creations on Instagram and tag us. We are @PlantBasedSlay. Be sure to hashtag #PlantBasedSlay. We would love to see what you create!
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A FEW TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE.
Making dough is not a precise science: You might not need to add all the flour in the dough recipe. If it seems like adding the last bit of flour makes the dough too stiff and rigid, don’t add it. Yeah, I know this is not too precise, but making bread dough is more like art than science.
Don’t overwork the dough: You don’t want to overwork the dough. Only mix until well blended and a ball begins to form. Overworking the dough will produce a cardboard-like pizza crust.
Create a warm space: Dough needs to rise in a warm space. A good way to do this is to turn the oven on to warm for 2-3 minutes. Then, the oven off. Place the bowl in the oven. You can also place the covered bowl on top of a stove or a counter near the stove.
Thinner red sauce: For a thinner red sauce, add ¼ to ½ cup of water while the sauce is cooking in the pot.
Store Leftovers: Store remaining pizza sauce in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keep refrigerated. The sauce will keep for up to three weeks.
Need some combination ideas? Try these!
Helpful tools.
Pizza Rossa
Ingredients
- ¾ C. warm water
- ¼ oz. packet of dry active yeast
- 1 Tsp. sugar
- 1 Tsp. salt
- ¼ Tsp. oregano, dried leaves
- ¼ Tsp. basil, dried leaves
- ¼ Tsp. garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 C. all-purpose flour
- extra olive oil
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (canned)
- 6 oz. tomato paste (canned)
- ¼ C. Zinfandel wine (or other red dry wine)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. white sugar
- 2 Tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ Tsp. basil, dried leaves
- 1 ¼ Tsp. garlic powder
- ½ Tsp. oregano
- ½ Tsp. sea salt
- ¼ Tsp. onion powder
- ¼ Tsp. white pepper, ground
Instructions
- Place yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl, add ¾ cups warm (not hot) water. The sugar will dissolve, but you may need to stir the sugar a bit . Allow the yeast mixture to sit uncovered on your kitchen counter for 15 minutes. The liquid will be cloudy and a little foamy – which is a good thing.
- Stir in olive oil, salt, oregano, basil, and garlic powder.
- Mix in flour a ½ a cup at a time. Mix until everything comes together; you might not need to add all the flour. The dough will begin to stick together as if forming a ball.
- Form into a ball. Rub top with extra olive oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place, and let rise for about an hour until the dough ball doubles in size.
- While the dough is resting and rising, prepare the pizza sauce. Place all red pizza sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk together.
- Heat over medium temperature until warmed all the way through.
- Then cover and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors the blend.
- After the sauce is done, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool while the dough rises.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down - one hit in the middle of the raised ball, be careful not to hit your hand on the bowl.
- Carefully remove dough from the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Lightly flour the top, fold the dough in half, and then repeat folding in half four additional times – a total of 5 kneads.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Press your dough into your chosen pizza pan - you can either roll out the dough out into a circle to fit a 12-inch pizza pan or into a rectangle to fit a 10 x 15-inch sheet pan/ cookie sheet. Be sure to press the dough to the edges of the pan.
- Pierce pizza crust with a fork several times, brush crust with a bit of olive oil. Bake in 375F degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Top prepared pizza crust with ½ cup of red sauce. Add more or less depending on taste.
- Select your toppings, arrange your toppings, and bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400F degree oven. Slice, eat, and enjoy!
