I saw this recipe with loads of veggies and whole wheat crust and thought it might be a worthy, if not tasty, addition for those of us looking for healthier versions of our favorite comfort foods. But I have to level with you. I was definitely skeptical about the flavor I’d get from whole wheat flour.
Fear not! It’s actually a pretty good pizza. And certainly one full of high quality nutrients.
I also learned a valuable lesson today. When it comes to making a recipe, if it’s not great the first time, don’t rush to judgement. It may not be the recipe.
I overcooked the first pizza, and the dough wasn’t good. But I was just thinking that that was the nature of whole wheat flour. Thankfully, Cookie + Kate created the recipe for two pizzas to be made.
Initially, I was just going to save the extra dough. However, I didn’t think all of the toppings would stay fresh. So I was worried about that.
Then the first pizza came out of the oven. It was not very….photogenic, let’s say. The edges were jagged and a huge air bubble distorted nearly half the pizza. So I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use the remaining toppings, get some better pics, and have some left overs. Although, I have to say, I was not too enthusiastic about dining on leftovers after tasting that first pizza.
But, oh my goodness! I am sooooo glad that I made the second pizza right away and was able to get a much more accurate idea of just how good this pizza is.
As I was cutting the second pizza and taking pictures, I thought, “that actually looks pretty good.” The crust was lighter, and the toppings looked nice because their were no big bubbles to displace them.
I took a bite and immediately realized, “this is really tasty.” The crust was light and flaky, with a much softer wheat taste. On this do-over pizza, the toppings shined and I realized that I had nearly made a terrible mistake by only writing about the first pizza that I messed up.
Instead, I am happy to share what I have learned by making both trials of this Ultimate Veggie Pizza. Here are some notes from my experience. I hope you find them helpful.
The Dough
Here are some notes to consider when making dough for this pizza recipe:
#1) Yes, this pizza calls for a white whole wheat flour for the dough. But any kind of flour works well, as I used pizza flour last week and it was delicious.
#2) The whole wheat dough holds its shape well and is not sticky at all. I barely needed flour. But as you can see from the final product, the edges were a bit rough. So take a moment to shape them before putting the pizza in the oven.
#3) This dough really did come together very quickly, thanks to instant/rapid rise yeast and a food processor. Simply mix the yeast with honey, water, and oil. Let the yeast do it’s thing for 5 minutes, then slowly drizzle the mixture into the processor over the flour, salt, and parmesan. Process for about another minute and the dough is ready to lightly kneed, ball, and roll out. Just keep in mind that without time to proof, the dough doesn’t really rise as much as it will if it rests overnight.
#4) The whole wheat crust has good, mild flavor and light, flaky texture as long as you DON’T overcook it – then it’s pretty much cardboard.
#5) The crust will bubble up, so check it about halfway through. If it does start to bubble, just pull it out of the oven and stab it a few times with a sharp knife or fork. Get it early so that it doesn’t scar your pizza. Recently, I’ve started pressing shallow finger prints into the rolled out dough and had some better results.
#6) With a steel, I cooked the first pizza 8 minutes. That’s too long! I made cardboard flavored pizza. FYI, cardboard does not taste very good. I tried the second pizza for just 6 minutes, piercing bubbles at about 3 minutes, and it was really tasty. If you don’t have a steel, you’ll about double your baking time.
The Sauce
I had some issues with this sauce despite using quality tomatoes. Most likely it was the use of balsamic vinegar that really made it acidic. I love sauce, so I was really disappointed with this version. If I made it again, I would make it without the vinegar, then add to taste which is what I normally do with a dish.
The Toppings
The toppings were a nice blend together. To me, the cherry tomatoes and red onions were the most pronounced flavors, followed by the red bell pepper.
The artichokes were kind of like wet cabbage, to me. They really didn’t have much flavor either. However, artichokes are hecka healthy. They’re packed with nutrients like fiber and protein. Learn more about them in this Women’s Health magazine post.
I did not use olives because I kinda hate them. So I didn’t want to skew this recipe by having them in there.
Spinach under the cheese was really clever! Another way to pack in nutrients without being featured. The flavor was easily concealed by the tomato sauce. So if you like the taste of spinach, consider placing it on top of the cheese as well.
Adding almonds was another way to add nutrients to the pizza without changing the flavor much. I didn’t really notice them, even though they were sprinkled throughout.
Conclusion
I appreciate that there were so many different nutrients built into this pizza, and still provides good flavor. This would be a great choice if you’re looking for a quality, nutritious, and tasty meal. Plus it’s pizza! Thanks Cookie + Kate for sharing this beautiful dish!