Crust (first 6 ingredients):

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius)

Open your bottle of Amista Zinfandel, and get ready to make pizzas!

In a standing mixer bowl, add yeast to warm water along with sugar and let sit for about 5 minutes until you see bubbles forming. Make sure water is not too hot (no hotter than 130 degrees F), it will kill the yeast. 

Attach the bowl to the standing mixer with a dough hook and add in salt, olive oil and whole wheat flour, knead for a couple of minutes on medium speed until you have a firm, shiny round ball and dough separates from bowl.   You can also do this in a food processor if you don't have a stand mixer.

Dust a working surface with some flour and pour dough onto surface, kneading it a few times and add back into bowl, cover with a towel and let rest for about 30 minutes to an hour. 

When ready to make pizza, divide the dough in two pieces and shape into a large square about 13 inches (33cm), and place on a prepared baking sheet or pizza stone. 

Tomato Sauce (next 4 ingredients):

In a large sauce pan, add a little olive oil and throw in the onion and garlic, saute for about 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add in the chopped tomatoes, and cook for about 30 minutes. Throw in some fresh basil, season with salt and pepper.

This can be made days in advance if you want to save time on the day. 

Pizza topping ideas: 

Caramelized onions (I caramelized two large onions with some olive oil, a garlic clove and some thyme over medium -low heat for about 20-30 minutes).

• 1 - red bell pepper, roasted
• 1 - 8 oz (225 grams) package of button mushrooms, sauteed with garlic and thyme
• 1 - large portobello mushrooms, sauteed with button mushrooms above
• 1 - broccoli crown, chopped finely and sauteed lightly with a little garlic and olive oil

As mentioned earlier, you can prep the veggies in advance, and just keep in fridge until ready to use. 

Assembly:

Add some of the home made tomato sauce on the prepared pizza dough, top with your favorite veggies and add vegan cheese (optional but we are partial to Miyoko’s Kitchen mozzarella cheese). Bake in oven until the bottom is crisp, about 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. 

Enjoy with Amista Zinfandel.

recipe complements of VeganWines