Guilt- free PIZZA!🍕

It’s almost summer and lockdown has already covered us all inside our nutshells keeping us munching all day under our comfort corners. With ample time in hand, cooking and creating new things is the new art that everyone is trying their hands on. Keeping up this spirit of cooking with the most available ingredients in the kitchen counter is what I started my day with when my son was craving to feast on a pizza. Such delicacies could be unhealthy right? High on calories, fats, and sodium content food topped with cheese and salty meats could hamper the kids’ health!

So here I came up with a nutritious idea that would boost the dish with loaded freshly grilled veggies along with homemade dough,cheese and sauce. Limitations of ingredients and the hang of healthy food is what drove me to the conclusion of making a guilt-free, homemade whole wheat pizza! So here’s how I began with the process and the ingredients that I compelled to get started with the yummy boon!

For the dough you’ll need:

2 cups of whole wheat flour

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1cup warm water

1tsp salt

1tbsp neutral oil ( I used Olive)

1/2 tsp sugar

Method

In a bowl add 1/4 cup warm water and sugar. Let it dissolve and then add yeast. Stir it and keep it aside for 10 mins or till frothy. Meanwhile in another bowl take the flour, add salt and oil. Pour the water with yeast on the flour and knead the dough with the remaining water. Grease a Bowl and keep the dough covered for an hour or until doubled.

Meanwhile the dough is getting ready we can prepare the pizza sauce. Ingredients required for the sauce are as follows:

4 tomatoes blanched, peeled and pureed

2 tbsp tomato puree

1tbsp chopped garlic

1 chopped onion

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tbsp torn basil leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

In a pan heat olive oil, saute garlic and onions. As soon as the onion turns translucent add the tomatoes. Mix well. Saute for 5 mins. Now add the seasoning, salt, pepper and the basil leaves. Mix well. Cook till the sauce thickens. Let it cool.

For toppings just grill some vegetables, like Mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, corn, onion, tomatoes, zuchinni etc. In a pan add oil, thrown in the chopped vegetables add salt and pepper and sautee it for 5 mins. Let the crunch be there.

Making cheese is not at all tricky, you just need two simple ingredients. It might not taste as the store bought mozzarella but I’m sure you won’t miss the cheese in your pizza!!

For cheese you’ll need:

1 lt full fat milk

4-5 tbsp vinegar

Cheesecloth to strain

Ice cold water

4 tbsp salt

In a pan heat milk just enough when you can’t put your finger in. Switch off the flame and add 1 tbsp vinegar. With a spoon start stirring the milk slowly. The milk will start curdling. Keep adding vinegar till all of the milk curdles and you see the greenish whey. Strain the cheese and reserve the whey. Make a ball of the cheese and squeeze out extra water. Let the cheese ball rest in again in the warm whey for 2-3 mins. (You can use the whey to knead dough for rotis, cook dal etc). In a bowl of ice cold water add salt and leave the cheese ball for 30-40 mins. Wrap in a cling film and keep it in the fridge. You can store it for 2-3 days, not beyond that. You can make the cheese a day prior.

Let’s get rollin’

Once your dough is doubled, take it out on a clean surface and punch down the dough with your fist. Knead it for a minute and cover it again for 5-7 mins. Make a small ball and roll it using a rolling pin. Place the rolled dough on a parchment paper. ( If using Pizza tray sprinkle some polenta ( corn meal) or rava to avoid sticking of the dough)

Make a lip or crust around the edges as shown in the picture. Using a fork make some holes. Now spread the pizza sauce. Add cheese, fresh basil leaves , olives and sauteed vegetables. Not to forget – preheat oven for atleast 20 mins at the highest temperature. And keep the oven on between placing the pizzas.