Vegetable Pizza with Mushrooms and Nuts

Ingredients

For the dough:

Flour 1.5 cups

Whole wheat flour 1 cup

Water 1 cup

Honey 1 tsp

Quick-action dry yeast 1 1/4 tsp

Salt 3/4 tsp

Corn flour

For the sauce:

Onion 1

Garlic 3 cloves

Olive oil 1 tbsp

Oregano 1 tsp

Tomato in its own juice 500 g

Sugar 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

For the filling:

Bell pepper 1 green

Red onion 1/4

Zucchini 0.5

Cherry tomatoes 10

Olives 8

Mushrooms 100 g

Oregano 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Olive oil to taste

70 g cashews



First, carefully weigh all the ingredients. Sift the flour to aerate it. Pour a glass of warm water into a large bowl suitable for mixing the dough. Important: the water should never be too hot, otherwise the yeast will die.



Add a teaspoon of honey and stir quickly until completely dissolved. Honey will not only impart a subtle sweetness and pleasant aroma to the dough but will also speed up the yeast growth process. You can use any honey, but if you don't have any at home, and buying it for a teaspoon is questionable, substitute regular sugar. Add the yeast to a bowl of warm water and honey and stir thoroughly, leaving no grains. After 5-15 minutes, a small cap or bubbles will appear on the surface of the water—this means the yeast has "awakened" and begun to work.

Next, carefully add the wheat flour. Mix vigorously with your hands. Important: We recommend not using a mixer to feel and monitor the entire process of the dough's transformation from a sticky mass to a soft, elastic dough, which is especially important for beginner cooks. While kneading, gradually add whole-wheat flour. It has a low gluten content, so it takes longer to knead and rise than regular wheat flour, and the dough itself will be denser and heavier.

 

Once all the liquid has been absorbed by the flour, turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it thoroughly, punching, stretching, and folding it, for 10-15 minutes. No need to add more flour. Add salt and olive oil at the end of kneading. Salt strengthens the dough and helps the finished product hold its shape thanks to its moisture-retaining properties; olive oil will enrich the dough with a pleasant aroma and give it elasticity. Form a ball and place it in a floured bowl. Dust the top with flour to prevent drying, cover with two towels to maintain the temperature, and leave in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour to rise.



Sauce: Finely chop the onion, crush and finely chop the garlic cloves. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 teaspoon of oregano and the tomatoes with their juices (if whole, chop them with a knife first), reduce the heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until thickened. Finally, add sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend the sauce in a blender until smooth.

For the filling, chop the vegetables, olives, and mushrooms and set aside. Now's the time to preheat the oven to 230°C. Return to the dough; it should have doubled in size. Press the top with your fist to release excess carbon dioxide, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form it into a ball. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll it out into a thin layer. Gently stretch the dough with your fingertips, forming a thin pizza crust, leaving slightly thicker edges.

 

Spread the sauce over the dough and evenly distribute the vegetables, mushrooms, and olives. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and drizzle with olive oil. The finishing touch is our secret ingredient: protein-rich cashews. Whole cashews are recommended. They add an interesting flavor note and make our lean pizza more filling. Add them to the toppings and carefully transfer the dough to a hot baking sheet. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown.



We strongly recommend cooling the pizza for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!