Deep Dish Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

One half recipe Basic Pizza (below), dough, risen

2 tbsp olive oi

3 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 batch homemade Fire Roasted Red Sauce (recipe below)

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 each green and kalamata olives, sliced

Directions

Place lowest oven rack near the bottom and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread olive oil in a 9 X 13 pan. Be sure to coat the sides of the pan as well as the bottom.

Turn out pizza dough into a pan and knock it down with your fist. Then using your fingertips, gently press the dough and shape it into a rectangle by starting in the center and working out to the edges. Do not aggressively stretch the dough or you will end up with holes. It is more a process of lightly stretching, then letting the dough rest.

Let rest 5 to 10 minutes and gently expand the rectangle until your dough covers the pan. (You may have to repeat this process one more time).

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise at least one hour.

Once risen, completely cover the dough with 2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle cheese all the way to the edges.

Next, spoon sauce on to the crust in polka dots. Then gently spread the dots to completely cover without disturbing the cheese layer.

Top with broccoli, onion, and olives. Then sprinkle with remaining cheeses.

Bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and immediately run a table knife between the crust and the pan to prevent the baked cheese from sticking to the side as it cools.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Fire Roasted Red Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 can (15 oz.) Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Petite Tomatoes

1 tsp honey

Salt to taste

Directions

Simmer olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic becomes soft and fragrant. Keep the heat low and stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.

Add in dried spices, cook, sirring for one minute. Then add tomato paste and cook for one minute more.

Add tomatoes. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes stirring and smashing tomatoes against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon to break them down a bit. Cook until mixture warms through and liquid is reduced. Then stir in honey and salt to taste.

Basic Pizza Crust
adapted from “The Joy of Cooking”

1 1/3 cups warm water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp Kosher salt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 1/2 cups flour