Vegan Pizza recipe without tomato, cheese, and commercial yeast is an unusual and very different recipe. This cheeseless pizza is a must-try!

This Pizza has not just one or two but many attributes attached to it. 2 attributes are showing up in the title only but there are others too. What are they?

In this pizza, there is no regular pizza sauce, no cheese, no exotic veggies, and the crust has neither instant nor dry yeast. Then what all is there?

 

I tried this vegan Pizza and I couldn't be happier! There is no pizza sauce, no stringy cheese stretching out of the pizza slice, no exotic veggies. Of course, at first glance, anyone would doubt if it is a pizza. Both my sons too couldn't believe that it was a pizza. But after having a bite of it they just loved it. And the proof of the pudding lies in its taste. The same day, in the evening, when I asked them which Pizza (as I had leftover pizza base)  would they like to have, the regular one or the new version, they readily said the new version.

 

My First Experience Of Vegan Pizza

Before I share the recipe of this Pizza I would like to share with you how I stumbled upon this Pizza and why I had been waiting to make this Pizza for the last 4 months. If I tell you frankly, I am not a Pizza person. I seldom eat pizza and that too in very little quantity. But during my trip to Italy, I had to. How could I avoid it in the land of pizzas? And the Pizzas I got to eat there were very different from the ones we make or buy in India. None of the pizzas there used exotic veggies like bell peppers etc. And the use of cheese was also minimum.

Memories Of Venice

During our short stay in Venice, my son (who was at home in India only) asked us to have a fine dining experience there. Keeping in mind my preferences for vegetarianism, he took pains to identify a very popular restaurant for us at St Mark's Square in Venice. Though we were not very inclined to have any more pizza but couldn't say no to his affectionate request and thus headed to that restaurant. It was a very cold evening and on the way, we stopped by for a hot Sangria - a wonderful drink. I and my husband really loved the hot sangria- so tastefully made. The shop owner was a young man, very enthusiastic in serving us hot Sangria. It took away all our cold and tiredness. We recovered the pink in our cheeks and started for the restaurant.

With GPS guiding us, we negotiated our way through the numerous narrow streets and canal bridges and soon we were at the restaurant. We were greeted by an immaculately dressed lady staff who guided us to a table from where we could see the beautifully lit St Marks Square and tourists. We asked for vegetarian dishes and were told that vegetarian was a problem but they had few Vegan dishes.

Seeing Vegan Pizza in the menu card, we ordered for it. As we finished with another glass of red wine, the much-awaited Pizza arrived. What a Pizza! The Best Pizza I have ever had! The crust, the sauce, the veggies, everything was extraordinarily delicious. I developed a love for it and decided to try it once back home.

We conveyed our praise to the Chef but I couldn't ask the complete recipe, as no one would share their trade secrets, but still the waiter was generous enough to tell us that it was sourdough crust and the white thing like cheese that we could see on top was actually sunflower seeds sauce!

Since then that Pizza was hovering in my mind but was waiting to get my sourdough starter right. And finally, when I have succeeded in making my own sourdough starter then this Pizza couldn't have been far behind. I tried it in the exact same way as I had it at that restaurant.

I would sound arrogant if I say that I made exactly the same pizza but yes, it was more or less like it. Apart from the difference in expertise, the difference is also in the crust. They had it of all-purpose flour or maybe bread flour whereas I made it with wheat flour.

How My Vegan Pizza Is Different From Regular Pizzas

I mentioned in the very beginning that this pizza of mine is very unusual and has many special attributes attached to it. So, it's time now to disclose all those. Let's discuss them one by one and you see for yourself whether they are apt or not.

1. Pumpkin Sauce: We are used to a thick, luscious, red-colored pizza sauce that is made with tomatoes and onions. No doubt. that gives a color contrast to the pizza and of course, tastes good too. But have you ever tried Pumpkin Sauce or Butternut Squash sauce, as it is generally called? This sauce is easy to make and comes with a host of health benefits too.
2. Seeds Sauce: The pizza cheese has been replaced with a sauce made with seeds. Now, sunflower seeds are what is required to make this pizza. But as I didn't have sunflower seeds and was difficult to procure due to the currently going lockdown so, I tried with melon seeds and that tasted excellent too.
3. Regular veggies: We are used to pampering our pizza with exotic veggies such as bell peppers, jalapenos, olives etc. But this pizza uses carrot, zucchini. capsicum, mushroom and beetroot. Sounds so different or feeling awkward?
4. Sourdough Crust: The crust or base of this pizza is made using a sourdough starter. You can make this pizza on a regular or millet-based pizza base too, but I wanted to make it this way only, so I did.

 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Sourdough Crust
• Pumpkin Sauce
• Melon Seeds Sauce in place of Cheese Or Bechamel Sauce
• Regular veggies like carrot, capsicum, beetroot
• Overall, a healthy pizza.

 

Step By Step Recipe

A. Pizza Base

• Mix sourdough starter into water.

 

• Add both the flour and salt.

Tip: Neither sugar nor lukewarm water is required.

• Knead it for 10 minutes till the dough becomes soft and smooth.

• Proof it for 2 to 3 hours till it gets double in volume.

• Divide the dough into 5 or 6 parts. Make roundels, brush milk on these, Put lots of flour in the tray and on the top of the roundels too, else the dough balls will stick to the tray. Cover with a napkin and proof for 15 minutes again.
• Start preheating the oven along with the baking tray at the highest degree in your oven, using both the rods.
• Transfer one roundel to the parchment paper and spread it out to a circle. Prick with a fork all over. Always spread it on parchment paper only otherwise you won't be able to put it on the baking tray as this is really very soft.

• Put this base along with the parchment paper on the preheated baking tray.
• Keep it in the middle rack and bake for 10 minutes till the base becomes sturdy and the dough no longer looks raw.
• Take it out and cool it on a wire rack.
• Similarly, make all other pizza bases.

B. Pumpkin Sauce

• After cleaning and peeling the pumpkin, cut it roughly into small pieces.

• Pressure cook it along with 1/4 cup water for 3 whistles.
• When cooled completely, puree it along with crushed garlic, salt, oil and seasonings.
• Pumpkin sauce is ready.

C. Muskmelon Seeds Sauce

• Soak seeds for 3 to 4 hours or overnight in about 1/2 cup water.

• Grind it along with water, salt and garlic cloves to a fine paste.
• Seeds sauce is ready. Adjust the consistency by adding water. Mine is slightly thick.

D. Toppings

• Cut veggies in whatever shape you wish to. I preferred juliennes. And I used carrots, capsicum, mushroom, and beetroot. Wanted to add Zucchini but couldn't get it. You may use veggies of your choice.
• Toss the veggies in salt and oregano.

E. Assembly

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Take a pizza base, brush olive oil on it. This makes the pizza crispy.
• Spread pumpkin sauce and then little seeds sauce on it.
• Lay veggies.
• Again put little seeds sauce here and there.

• Put little olive oil all over.
• Sprinkle some seeds, though optional.
• Bake in the preheated oven in the middle rack for about 10 to 15 minutes till gets well cooked from the bottom as well as the top.
• Serve with love, watermelon slush optional.

 

Pizza Collection

If you are fond of Pizzas, then have a look at my collection of different types of Pizzas which include vegan and gluten-free pizzas too:

• Whole Wheat Pizza
• Pizza Muffins
• No Yeast Pizza 
• Pizza Rolls
• Millet Pizza (without Yeast)
• Rolled Pizza or Stromboli
• Focaccia

Isn’t it amazing! Do try and share your feedback regarding this.