This recipe is adapted from Jillian Michael’s recipe in Master Your Metabolism. To make it vegan, omit the feta cheese and dust the top with nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor without the saturated fat.
Makes 1 thick-crust or 2 thin-crust pizzas
For a homemade crust:
- 20 oz. baguette dough* (half the batch below) that has been mixed and refrigerated overnight or up to four days
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature with a baking stone on the center rack. (See below for pan options if you don’t have a stone.)
Stretch or roll the cold dough into one or two large circles, depending on how thick you like your crust. Place it on a parchment-lined wooden peel or backside of a cookie sheet.
Brush the surface of the dough lightly with pesto or olive oil leaving a 1-inch margin all around. Add the toppings in the following order:
- 4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2-3 cups (about 2 oz.) baby spinach
- 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves
- ½ of a small red onion or one shallot, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
- ⅓ cup sliced, pitted Kalamata olives
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, drizzled on top
- nutritional yeast, for dusting the top
- Optional: Feta cheese
After topping, fold the edge of the dough over your thumb toward the center all the way around to keep any oil from dripping over the edge. Trim the excess parchment to about 1 inch.
Slide the pizza with the parchment directly onto the hot baking stone. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes for a thick crust or 6-9 minutes for a thin crust at the highest temperature, until the edges of the crust are deep golden. Remove carefully to a cutting board and serve immediately.
 | If you’re not using a stone, stretch the dough out to fit a parchment-lined, rimmed cookie sheet and top as directed above. Place pan on the center rack. Reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. |
Basic Baguette and Pizza Dough
Makes 40 ounces of dough
This dough takes less than five minutes of hand-kneading, then it goes into the refrigerator for up to four days. You can use it for baguettes, breadsticks, pizza dough, or crusty rolls. You can also freeze it for use within one month. Place it in an oil-sprayed plastic bag before freezing. Remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator the night before you plan to shape or bake with it.
You will need 1/2 the batch for the pizza above. Plan to freeze the other half if you don’t need two pizzas at once.
- 12 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 -2 3/4 cups)
- 12 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/2 -2 3/4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons (14 grams) fine-grain salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package/7 grams) instant yeast (aka Quick-Rise or Rapid Rise)
- 2 cups (16 ounces) lukewarm water
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber scraper until all the flour is wet, about 1 minute. Let rest (autolyse) for 5 minutes to allow the flour to fully hydrate.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead by hand for 3-4 minutes, adding as little flour as possible as you knead. The dough should become smooth, but should still be slightly tacky. Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with oil; spray the top, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight or for up to four days.
