This light and boldly flavored Mediterranean Veggie Pizza is healthy (and vegetarian!) and works well as a main dish or even an appetizer and comes together in about 40 minutes!
This recipe is in partnership with Fleischmann’s® Yeast – all opinions are my own.
It’s mid-January already! Have you been sticking to your New Years Resolutions? I am a goal setter at heart, so the start of a new year is such an exciting time to me. The perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year’s goals and evaluate myself and my personal progress in many areas, as well as dream up new goals to focus on for the next 365 days. Healthier eating and learning new cooking skills are incredibly common NY resolutions – for good reason! Who doesn’t want to feel a little more on top of the world by fueling yourself with nutritious food and conquering a new quest in the kitchen??
If these are your goals I’m here to help you out my friends. Today I am showing you how to make this ridiculously tasty Mediterranean Veggie Pizza and you will be wowed, that’s right WOWED at how much flavor this beauty packs without needing sauce or a thick layer of melty cheese AND that it comes together in just 40 minutes with the help of a quick rising yeast made by my friends over at Fleischmann’s.
This is my third year working together with Fleischmann’s to bring you taste-tested, family-friendly recipes that will make you feel a rockstar in the kitchen and I am so excited to be bringing you on this journey with me.
If you haven’t made homemade pizza before today is the day y’all! You’re gonna make it. You’re gonna devour it. You’re gonna find yourself thinking (or even yelling) where has this super easy and totally perfect homemade pizza dough been all my liiiiiiiiiife?! Because with just 10 minutes of rising time, this dough is as quick as it is simple, fluffy, and D to the LISH.
Now let’s talk about the good shtuff. Aka: how to make the ultimate homemade pizza crust, and how to make it yours.
4 Tips for making perfect pizza crust:
- For a light dough and chewy texture, use Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast (only requires 10 minutes of resting/rise time!)
- Roll it out. You can pat dough by hand to shape it and prepare it for toppings, but I always get the best results when I use a rolling pin. The dough cooks more evenly this way.
- Don’t overcrowd that dough, give it a chance to shine by leaving at least a 1 1/2 inch edge uncovered with toppings around the rim of the dough.
- Crank up the heat! Right at the end – the last 2-3 minutes or so, I like to switch from BAKE to BROIL and then watch the magic happen as the toppings get a little bit crispier, and the crust of the pizza turns from a light yellow to a deep golden brown.
How can I customize this pizza?
I love this classic combination of artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, and kalamata olives, but this pizza is SO versatile and there are so many other delicious topping options. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Use a simple red sauce instead of the olive oil and dried herbs
- Spread a layer of classic or roasted red pepper humus on top of the crust
- Add fresh or roasted red bell peppers
- Sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes for a hint of heat
- Throw on some shredded or diced chicken for an added boost of protein
- Top it off with some fresh spinach or arugula, toasted pine nuts, or roasted chickpeas for some crunch
You guys really, the possibilities are endless for this Mediterranean Veggie Pizza.
Mediterranean Veggie Pizza
-
1
envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast -
1 1/2
teaspoons
sugar -
3/4
teaspoon
salt -
2/3
cup
very warm water -
6
tablespoons
oil
divided -
1/2
teaspoon
dried thyme -
1/4
teaspoon
dried oregano -
1/4
teaspoon
dried parsley -
1/2
cup
chopped artichoke hearts -
1/3
cup
sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained -
1/3
cup
kalamata olives, sliced -
1/4
red onion, thinly sliced -
1/4
cup
crumbled feta cheese - optional toppings: fresh basil, cracked black pepper, coarse sea salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add water and 3 tablespoons oil and stir for about 1 minute or until well blended. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
Knead by hand on a floured surface, adding additional flour as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Let dough rest at this point for 10 minutes.
Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness and transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with dried herbs. Top with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, onions, and olives.
Bake on lowest rack for about 15 minutes until dough is cooked through. I like to BAKE for the first 12 minutes, then switch to BROIL for the last 2-3 minutes to get a nicely browned crust. (Just watch closely so it doesn’t burn)
Top with fresh basil, salt, pepper, and feta cheese. Serve immediately.
