Pan Pizza w/ Green Olives & Mushrooms
Pan Pizza w/ Green Olives & Mushrooms
My all time favorite toppings for Pizza are Black Olives and Mushrooms and as much as I love Olives I never thought to use Green ones on Pizza. It wasn’t until I spotted the most delicious looking post on Instagram that inspired me to recreate this Pizza and make it Vegan. Just like the recipe creator I also used King Arthurs recipe for the dough and suggestion for making the Pizza. You can find it here You can also choose to use a very simple pizza dough and still use the cast iron for a crispier crust. Using the no knead method of folding and allowing the dough to develop flavor overnight is what creates those pillowy air bubbles within the crust. If you love pan pizza and have the time go ahead and give it a try, it’s worth the wait!
For this Pizza I tried the new Miyoko’s Creamery Liquid Mozzarella but you can use your favorite Vegan Cheese
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
The Crust (instructions are here)
2 cups (240g) All Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
3/4 cup (170g) Water, lukewarm
1 tablespoon (15g) Olive Oil plus more for the pan
The Toppings
1 1/4 cup (170 g) Vegan Mozarella Cheese
1/2 cup (113 ml) Tomato or Pizza Sauce
6 -8 Green Olives pitted and sliced in half
4 oz (114 g) Mushrooms sliced
Red Chili Flakes, Oregano and basil to taste.
Note: If using plain tomato sauce feel free to add some italian seasoning or garlic/ onion powder to give it a little pick me up in flavor.
Equipment: 10 -12” Cast Iron Pan
Directions
1. Make the dough according to the directions linked on the left.
2. Once the dough has rested overnight and ready to use, place the dough into a well oiled cast iron pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough and stretch it out. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes and repeat until the dough is stretched to the edge of the pan. Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours while you prepare the toppings.
3. On medium heat, lightly sauté the mushrooms until they begin to cook down, about 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper and then set aside. Split the olives in half and set aside. Lastly, if you are using plain tomato sauce, season it with any combination of salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder or Italian seasoning. I also like to add a small amount of sugar (about 1 tsp) to balance out the acid.
4. When the the pizza crust is ready to be topped, add about half of the cheese to the dough and then spoon on dollops of sauce on top. This will keep the crust from getting soggy from the sauce. Repeat with another layer of cheese. Then add on the olives and mushrooms.
5. Before preheating the oven, position one rack at the bottom of your oven and one rack at the top (make sure your pan fits on top) Bake the pizza on the bottom rack at 450 for 18-20 minutes. At the 18 minute mark check to see if the bottom is done and nice and brown. At this point if the bottom still needs color then leave it where it is and continue cooking for a few more minutes. If the top needs more color and meltiness then reposition the pizza to the top rack and continue cooking for a few minutes.
6. Sprinkle with herbs like oregano or basil and red chili flakes before serving.
