Vegan Pesto Zucchini and Pineapple Pizza

Vegan Pesto Zucchini and Pineapple Pizza

This pizza starts with a bubble homemade dough, spread with fresh basil pesto, and topped with zucchini ribbons, pineapple and almond cream. Then drizzled with olive oil, sweet honey, and basil. Drooling yet? It's a gourmet decadent pizza to indulge in.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian, vegan

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 10

Rise Time 10

Total Time 10 50

Servings people (makes 3 pizzas)

Calories 499kcal

Author Hannah Sunderani

Ingredients

For the dough: (makes 3 pizzas)

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for shaping dough
1 1/2 cups filtered water
2 teaspoons sea salt finely ground
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

For the toppings: (for 3 pizzas)

2 cups basil leaves tightly packed
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 zucchini
1 small pineapple
1/3 cup almond cream or coconut milk
sea salt and pepper to sprinkle
1/4 cup basil leaves tightly packed
olive oil to drizzle
honey to drizzle (or agave)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To prepare the dough: whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1.5 cups water while stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir until well incorporated. Knead dough gently with your hands to bring together and form into a rough ball. Add more flour if needed until it's no longer sticky to the touch, or alternatively more water if it's too dry. It should be plush and dough-like. (You might have to add lots more flour - this is normal. I used approx. 1/2 cup more flour).
Transfer dough to a large clean bowl. Cover with bees wrap and let rise at room temperature, in a draft-free area, until its surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has doubled in size, approx. 6-10 hours.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface and gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into three equal portions and mold portions gently into a ball. Dust dough balls with more flour, and cover with bees wrap until ready to use. Bring dough back to room temperate before baking.
When ready to make pizzas, begin with your pesto basil: in a food processor add fresh basil , olive oil, pine nuts, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. Pulse to combine.
Thinly slice zucchini lengthwise using a mandolin or knife. Cut pineapple into thin slices.
Preheat oven to 230C/450F. Line baking tray with parchment paper and place dough on top. Flatten dough with hands, until it's very thin and covers most of the sheet. (If dough springs back, let it rest a few minutes, then try again).
Spread pesto over dough leaving roughly 1/2 inch at the ends. Decorate with thinly sliced zucchini and chopped pineapple. Decorate with a few spoonfuls almond cream. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and bake pizza in the oven until golden and bubbly, approx. 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Continue Step 6 and Step 7 with remaining pizzas.
Sprinkle pizza with cayenne pepper, more salt and pepper, and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and honey.

Notes

Pizza dough can be made up to three days (72 hours) in advance. Slice dough into 3 separate dough balls and wrap each dough ball separately in bees wrap. Keep chilled in fridge for up to three days.

Or, freeze pizza dough if you plan to wait longer three days to cook. Let thaw, covered in wrap, before using.

Plastic wrap can be used as an alternative to bees wrap.

Nutrition