Like many children, Little A is very fond of pizza and all other kind of junk food available at an easy disposal. Though I rigorously don’t restrict the consumption of these or refuse him point blank whenever the demand arise, I prefer cooking it up for him at home from the scratch than buying from a store just to be sure of the ingredients I am putting inside his tiny body. Pizza is fast and most convenient to order. And that’s the main reason many of us don’t bother making it at home. However, if you make a dough at home just once, you’d know how straightforward it is to have a pizza dough right in your kitchen. And trust me you will never go back to ordering a pizza again from your local take-away joint. I used Philips Kitchen machine to knead the dough and it came out just as perfect without having to roll the dough back and forth with my hands. You can use food processor too for the purpose and it will give you the same results.
If you think pizza can’t be a part of healthy diet, then think again. Here, I have used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour to not only make the pizza crust healthy but to have a fluffy, soft and crispy pizza that we all know and love. Experiment with the toppings and let the kids choose them. In this recipe, I have used all of my son’s favorite veggies like peppers, mushrooms, olives and corn. However, you can use leftovers or tiny bits of vegetables lying in the refrigerator to put them to nest use. If given a chance, children love to give a hand in the kitchen. Cooking boost creativity in children and let them explore their palate. Hence, I encourage you to make this pizza with your children and it sure will turn out to be a wonderful bonding experience with your child while they learn another new recipe that’s soon to become a family’s favorite!
Pizza dough recipe is inspired from Sally’s Baking Addiction where she has explained a success to fool proof pizza dough step-wise and is easier to understand. I only had to swap the flour and add my own toppings!
Whole Wheat Vegetarian Pizza
- Servings: 6 slices
- Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients –
For pizza dough-
- 1 cup, Whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp, Dry active yeast
- 1 tsp, Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp, Olive oil
- 4 tbsp, water (or more if required)
For the sauce –
- ¼ cup, tomato paste
- 1 tsp, sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp, dried herbs
For toppings –
- ¼ cup, sliced yellow pepper
- ¼ cup, sliced baby corn
- ¼ cup, chopped olives
- ¼ cup, mushrooms (sautéed in butter and garlic)
Method –
- Place warm water (around 40 Degrees C), yeast and sugar in a small bowl to ferment. As the foam starts to float on top, yeast is active and ready to use. If it doesn’t, discard and start again, making sure the water is at right temperature (not too hot nor too cold)
- In a bowl of Philips Avance Kitchen Machine fitted with a hook attachment, pour the yeast-water mix, salt, olive oil and wheat flour. Knead the dough at a speed of 4 for 3-4 mins and at a speed of 2 for 5 mins until a soft and smooth dough is formed. It should spring back when touched with a finger. Make into a ball, brush with olive oil and cover the dough in the same bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile prep the vegetables and keep them covered. Prepare the sauce by simply mixing together all the sauce ingredients and adjust the seasoning as per your taste.
- Preheat the oven to 220 Degrees C and line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the parchment with wheat flour so that the dough doesn’t stick.
- Tip the dough onto a prepared baking sheet and using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle, having a thickness of 1-2 inches. Using a ladle spoon, ask your children to assist you in swirling the tomato sauce. Allow them to sprinkle the cheese first and spread the toppings as desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust turn golden brown and cheese start to melt. Slice and serve hot.
Disclaimer : Though I was provided Philips appliances for the purpose of #30DaysOfHomemade challenge, all the above views and opinions remain my own.
