Veggie Deluxe Pizza

Why this formula works

Putting 590 g raw vegetables straight on dough would create steam, not deluxe flavor. Eggplant browns alone first; pepper, zucchini and onion follow in a second hot batch. Balsamic, garlic and oregano season the concentrated vegetables, while a 300 g dough ball, 120 g tomato and 140 g mozzarella support the generous cooled topping.

Honest timing

Ingredients

• mature room-temperature pizza dough ball300 g (10.6 oz)
• thick pizza tomato sauce120 g (4.2 oz)
• low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated140 g (4.9 oz)
• mixed red and yellow bell peppers, cut into 1 cm strips160 g (5.6 oz)
• small zucchini, cut into 6 mm rounds150 g (5.3 oz)
• eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes180 g (6.3 oz)
• yellow onion, cut into thin wedges100 g (3.5 oz)
• pitted Kalamata olives, drained60 g (2.12 oz)
• extra-virgin olive oil30 g (1.06 oz)
• garlic, finely grated8 g (0.28 oz)
• dried oregano2 g (0.07 oz)
• balsamic vinegar containing sulphites15 g (0.53 oz)
• fresh basil leaves15 g (0.53 oz)
• fine sea salt5 g (0.18 oz)
• coarsely ground black pepper1.5 g

Equipment

• two wide heavy skillets or one skillet used in batches
• pizza steel or stone
• pizza peel
• large plate or tray
• digital scale
• rack
• pizza wheel

Exact method

1. 1. Preheat the chosen baking surface according to the loaded-pizza table below. Cut all vegetables before heating the skillet so each batch can cook without interruption.
2. 2. Heat 12 g olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add eggplant in one layer with 1.5 g salt and cook 5–6 minutes until browned on several faces; spread on a tray to cool.
3. 3. Add 10 g oil to the hot skillet. Cook peppers and onion for 3 minutes, add zucchini and cook another 3–4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, 2 g salt and black pepper for the final 45 seconds.
4. 4. Return eggplant briefly, add balsamic and toss over high heat for 30 seconds until no liquid remains. Spread all vegetables out to cool; drain and halve olives.
5. 5. Open the 300 g dough to 32 cm with a 1.5–2 cm rim. Move to a lightly dusted peel and confirm it slides.
6. 6. Spread all 120 g tomato and add mozzarella. Distribute the cooled vegetables and olives evenly, keeping the center no heavier than the outer topping zone.
7. 7. Bake with the matching loaded-pizza setup below. On steel, use 7–10 minutes and rotate once; pull when the underside is deeply browned and vegetable edges re-crisp.
8. 8. Rest on a rack for 60 seconds. Finish with basil, remaining 8 g olive oil and remaining 1.5 g salt.
9. 9. Cut into eight narrow slices, distributing the four vegetables and olives across every portion.