The Ultimate Veggie Pizza

This Veggie Pizza is absolutely one of my favorite homemade pizzas to date. It comes loaded with mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, and broccoli and comes based with a crispy, fluffy whole wheat crust. It’s just that simple, yet it’s bursting with savoriness and flavor. Perfect for any lunch or dinner meal and is made in just 20 short minutes.

We’ve begun a new week and it’s been a pretty interesting few weeks of May thus far.

For one, the weather has been rainy and chilly with in between days of sun and warmth, so of course, we’re all waiting for full sun rays to come out. Haha.

Secondly, I’ve been so intentional with everything lately and have been tweaking and re-modeling a ton of things in my life to ensure that they fit perfectly with what they were intended to fit with, including this blog.

While it’s been refreshing, yet frustrating, I definitely know that with time we all evolve, therefore, the things around us should be evolving as well.

With that being said, I’ve decided to put a pause on our newest YouTube Channel and focus on a few other things. I know.

It’s pretty crazy, but trust me when I tell you, it’s a sound decision at the moment. But don’t worry—I’ll be sure to add more Wellness pieces to the blog so that we can keep the conversations on health and wellness going strong.

Lastly, I’ve been thinking about adding a few more restrictive diet items on the blog as well such a GF (Gluten-Free) and Sugar-Free so that those of you who follow this blog can find recipes that fit best for your entire family and loved ones (especially those who may be sensitive to specific ingredients).

Granted, it won’t be a ton of these types of recipes, however, I’m planning on creating a recipe category for them so that you can find them easily under the menu tabs. Hopefully this helps!

OK, so let’s talk about this pizza! Compared to our other homemade pizzas—Hawaiian BBQ Buffalo Chicken Pizza and Buckwheat Veggie Pizza with Chickpea + Kale Pesto Sauce and even this Chicken Spinach + Broccoli Gluten-Free pizza; this new pizza looks pretty simple, right?

But trust me when I tell you that it’s SO GOOD!

The crust is perfectly thin (yet thick enough to hold up all of the ingredients) and the overload of tomatoes and broccoli alone adds a nice velvety crunch.

Plus, it has the right amount of cheese and the sauce is well-seasoned, which brings everything together. I mean, I can’t describe it any better, honestly!

It’s the perfect pizza for the entire family and of course, if preferred, you can always add a ton more veggies on top. It’s up to you.

How to Ensure The Perfect Pizza Crust Every Time!

When it comes to making the perfect pizza crust, it only really takes a FEW HACKS/TRICKS for this to happen.

However, it is imperative that you follow these exact steps every time, so that the perfect crust is achieved!

Here’s how:

• Make sure that your oven is preheated and is HOT!! This ensures that everything bakes evenly and cooks pretty fast to avoid anything that could possibly cause your pizza to be soggy or undercooked (like the dough!).

• Never EVER use cold dough! Using cold dough changes the hydration and makes it more aggressive to stretch and work out. This isn’t good for your crust at all.

• Always, Always use a Pizza Sheet Pan. For a crispy pizza, I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan, which can be found at Target!

• DO NOT over roll dough! When following the step of rolling out the dough slightly to flatten it, never roll out the dough too much! Be sure to follow the steps of stretching it out with your hands the rest of the way.

• Never add TOO MUCH sauce! This step is super imperative (trust me, I learned the hard way!) and it’s such truth. Never add all the sauce entirely to avoid a soggy middle or crust.

• Precook any toppings that might require a longer cook time! This is especially true for certain veggies (and of course meats) that require a longer cook time that the allotted short amount of minutes that an actual pizza takes to cook. That way you aren’t trying to overcook your pizza because the toppings aren’t fully cooked.

There you have it—these tried and true tips/tricks will get your pizza coming out crisp and perfect every time! Do you have any additional tips that have worked for you besides these?

Now, let’s dig right into this recipe, shall we?

FOR THE CRUST:

In the bowl of an electric mixer (with a dough hook attachment), mix together the warm water, honey (or sugar), olive oil, yeast, garlic powder, dried parsley, and sea salt (you might need to use a whisk to ensure that everything combines together well). Let is sit for at least 5 minutes, until yeast begins to activate and foam.

Slowly add the flour (on low speed!), until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed. **NOTE: if dough is too sticky, add 1/2 cup of additional flour at a time)**. 

Now, increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the mixer. 

Once done, cover the dough with plastic wrap for 10 minutes, until is rises a bit. 

On a floured surface, add the dough and slightly roll out the dough until it’s flat enough to form a flat circle the rest of the way with your hands, about 11 inches in diameter. Lightly grease your pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil and place dough on one end of pan, evenly pressing it and flattening it out to fit the entire pan. Gently use your finger to stretch dough until pan is fully covered and gently pinch the edges of the dough together to form the crust.

FOR VEGGIE PIZZA:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and be sure to use a great pizza pan to ensure that your crust is crispy (**See Recipe notes for suggestion!**).

In a medium bowl, add the tomato sauce and seasonings, mixing until well combined.

Spoon a generous amount of the tomato sauce over the top of the crust in the center and spread it out thinly and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, then the broccoli and sliced tomatoes. Lightly brush the tops of the crust with extra virgin olive oil to ensure that it becomes a nice golden brown.

Gently transfer the pizza pie to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until the cheese has melted (and becomes bubbly) and the crust is crispy and golden brown.

Once done, allow pizza to rest/cool for a few minutes (about5 minutes!) so that the cheese sets before cutting into generous slices, using a pizza cutter. Garnish with your favorite toppings—dried parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, parmesan, etc.

Bon Appetite!

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you choose to make this Ultimate Veggie Pizza or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love!

5 from 4 votes

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The Ultimate Veggie Pizza

This Veggie Pizza is absolutely one of my favorite homemade pizzas to date. It comes loaded with mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, and broccoli and comes based with a crispy, fluffy whole wheat crust. It's just that simple, yet it's bursting with savoriness and flavor. Perfect for any lunch or dinner meal and is made in just 20 short minutes.

Course: Main Course

Keyword baked, broccoli, cheese, classic, crust, easy, healthy, herbs, pizza, vegetarian, veggies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 1 Large Pizza Pie

Creator Shanika | Orchids + Sweet Tea

Must-Haves:

FOR THE CRUST:

• 2 3/4 cups Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 cup WARM fresh water
• 1 Tbsp honey or organic pure cane sugar
• 1 packet rapid-rise or instant yeast (That's 2 1/4 tsps!)
• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley

FOR THE VEGGIE PIZZA:

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in halves
• 2 cups slightly cooked broccoli (See Notes!)
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (Add extra if preferred!)
• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• Garnish: dried parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, parmesan, etc.

PIZZA SAUCE:

• 1 (15 oz.) can organic tomato sauce
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

FOR THE CRUST:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer (with a dough hook attachment), mix together the warm water, honey (or sugar), olive oil, yeast, garlic powder, dried parsley and sea salt (you might need to use a whisk to ensure that everything combines together well). Let is sit for at least 5 minutes, until yeast begins to activate and foam.

2. Slowly add the flour (on low speed!), until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed. **NOTE: if dough is too sticky, add 1/2 cup of additional flour at a time)**. 

3. Now, increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the mixer. 

4. Once done, cover the dough with plastic wrap for 10 minutes, until is rises a bit. 

5. On a floured surface, add the dough and slightly roll out the dough until it's flat enough to form a flat circle the rest of the way with your hands, about 11 inches in diameter. Lightly grease your pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil and place dough on one end of pan, evenly pressing it and flattening it out to fit the entire pan. Gently use your finger to stretch dough until pan is fully covered and gently pinch the edges of the dough together to form the crust.

FOR THE VEGGIE PIZZA:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and be sure to use a great pizza pan to ensure that your crust is crispy (**See Recipe notes for suggestion!**).

2. In a medium bowl, add the tomato sauce and seasonings, mixing until well combined.

3. Spoon a generous amount of the tomato sauce over the top of the crust in the center and spread it out thinly and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, then the broccoli and sliced tomatoes. Lightly brush the tops of the crust with extra virgin olive oil to ensure that it becomes a nice golden brown.

4. Gently transfer the pizza pie to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until the cheese has melted (and becomes bubbly) and the crust is crispy and golden brown.

5. Once done, allow pizza to rest/cool for a few minutes (about5 minutes!) so that the cheese sets before cutting into generous slices, using a pizza cutter. Garnish with your favorite toppings—dried parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, parmesan, etc.

6. Bon Appetite!

Tips | Notes:

PIZZA CRUST: For a crispy pizza, I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan, which can be found at Target!

STORAGE: Leftover pizza is best kept tightly wrapped in foil paper, refrigerated for 3-4 days for optimal freshness.

BROCCOLI: Add the cut florets of broccoli to boiling water in a medium pot and let cook for about 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened. Remove from hot water and add to a bowl of iced cold water to ‘stop’ the cooking process. Let sit for a minute or two. Gently remove broccoli and pat dry. Continue recipe.

The Ultimate Veggie Pizza.