Vegan pizza/ pizza base?

[BlackCats]

Does anyone know if there is a frozen vegan pizza you can buy in UK that you can just put in oven to cook?
I know its not very healthy but everytime my husband has his frozen non vegan pizzas they are making me jealous and so I was wondering if they did one.

Failing that has anyone found any pizza bases that are vegan and nice?

I sometimes use english muffins cut in half and put sweetcorn, pinapple and tomatoes and stuff on top at moment.
Failing that has anyone got a recipe for a nice pizza base? I made one before and it tasted like a big really hard scone.

[Lorrs]

You can make your own pizza bases or you can buy plain ones in most supermarkets, I get mine from Sainsburys.

Good recipe here

[RedWellies]

This company do a lovely pizza base (not sure if you can freeze it, I guess so). They are local to me but you might be able to get a local shop to get some in. It also looks like you can buy online.

They also do vegan hot cross buns! A very helpful company and their spicy bean pasty is lovely.

[BlackCats]

Thanks for that.
I am hoping that when I find a nice vegan replacement he might be tempted to have that instead of his non vegan one.

I've only been vegan for 6 months and pizza used to be my favourite food when I was just vegetarian and I feel irritated seeing him eat it when I can't!

I have tried one supermarket pizza base but they seemed very hard.

I might try that company and probably get tempted by everything else they do, bean pasty sounds nice!

[tipsy]

can you get amy's there?

thats what i use when i do buy frozen pizzas.

oh, and tofutti makes one too!

check it out on their websites i guess to see if you can get it there!

[Mr Flibble]

no

[BlackCats]

Mr Flibble you crushed my hopes there.
I'm taking it there are no frozen pizzas in UK, why its so depressing!

[Mr Flibble]

None that I've seen.

Why not make fresh though? There's plenty of threads if you search with recipes for handmade bases. If you've a decent bread machine you can have the dough ready to roll out within 45 minutes. Get a pizza stone and bung it in the oven at maximum temperature.

[yum]

Purple rose i love that pursley soup website they have some great ideas. fab

xxxx

[BlackCats]

I just looked up pizza stone it sounds really good, I wasn't sure what exactly it was, maybe I might make my own pizza instead.

[tipsy]

no

oh, sorry. ill mail you some if you want?!?!

[Jjt]

I don't know a good pizza base, but I will find one soon. I do know how to toss a pizza though, and put on the toppings.

I bought some frozen pizza dough from the health food store a little bit ago, and It said it was high quality but it wasn't like the dough I was used to when I worked at a pizza place. It was really tough and had lots of gluten. That really isn't my taste, although if you like that then there are plenty of recipes out there for it I'm sure. Just search for "east coast pizza dough recipes". I would be careful if you buy any frozen pizza dough and make sure you let it sit out long enough 4-5 hours. Making your own pizza dough is always the best idea, and there's nothing you can't get easily that you need to make a nice dough. It's also much much cheaper. YOu can make several in one night and then freeze them until you need them.

Get yourself a pizza stone nomatter what you do. It makes a difference.

Here is a recipe that is supposed to be alot like the dough I used to work with. It is not east coast crust, but is a very airy thin crust that is both chewy and crisp, like artisan bread. It goes well with a pizza sauce that is sweet and tangy and the crust should be lightly basted with olive oil when done cooking.

Crust
4+ hour lead time or so. Makes three squarish crusts that are about 15×11″ (the rough size of parchment paper and the stone). Rule of thumb, 1 pizza is about 90% of the mess that 3 are, and about 1/3 as good.

• 5 1/2 c Flour total, 1 whole wheat pastry, 1.5 bread, the rest all purpose.
• 1 meduim potato, cubed, boiled, and mashed with enough water to make a moist cup or so of mashed potato
• 2 tsp yeast, proofed in 1c warm water + dash sugar
• Total of just less than 2 c water, including proofing liquid
• 1/4 cup oil or so, unmeasured

Add flour, potato, and oil in the kitchenaid mixer, while running slowly drizzle in proofed yeast and water till it’s a moist dough that’s making wet sounds. Keep it kneading in the mixer for a few minutes, it tightened up a bit to a nice smooth dough that was a little sticky. Inside of the bowl was clean, all the ingredients were in the ball of dough, which was kneading as well as I’ve seen it knead before.
After 5 minutes or so, pull it out and knead by hand for a few minutes. then pop back in the mixer and mix in 1 tsp salt, then form into a ball and let rise in a covered, greased bowl for a while. Make sure to oil/grease the surface of the dough so it doesn’t dry out. Spary canola oil is good.
Let it rise in a warmish place for an hour or so, then turn it and let it rise again. Divide into three balls, knead a couple times then form into small thick rectangles. Place in three oiled bowls (I used the mixer bowl here as one, so they don’t need to be wide) and oil the surface again.
An hour or so ahead, take one rack out of the oven, other on the second slot from the bottom with a pizza stone. Heat the oven to 475*. This needs to be done ahead of time to make the stone nice and hot. Feel free to make apple pies or whatever in the time before this. The oven is going to be hot for a while.
*This doesn’t need to be precise, but does need to be really hot. I’ve done it anywhere between 450 and 550, but this is where things were on this oven this time. I’ve also done it hot, then lowered the temp 50 degrees on adding the pizza so that the stone was hotter than the rest of the oven. I’m not sure how much it helped, and it’s hard to do reliably when doing more than one pizza.
When ready to make one pizza, have a piece of parchment paper ready and get one dough rectangle onto a floured surface. Gently stretch the dough to shape, making a thin topping area and a thicker crust. Lift and transfer onto the parchment paper. This is far easier if it’s done quickly and smoothly, without letting the dough get the idea that it can foul things up by not behaving. It’s much better if you don’t have to resort to balling it back up and rolling it out.
Parchment is key here. It’s easy to slide onto the peel and off onto the stone, and it keeps the soft dough from sticking to anything. It’s also easy to cleanup and doesn’t get in the way of the heat conduction.
Add toppings, being careful to control the water content. Seed tomatoes, drain artichoke hearts well, that sort of thing. Don’t overload with cheese, for this size pie, 3/4 lb cheese is overdoing it.
Slide onto the stone using a pizza peel, leaving the parchment paper underneath. It will keep the pizza from sticking even if there is a leak in the crust. Cook until the crust is golden and the cheeze is starting to show brown bits. I set the timer for 12 minutes, but I check before that and normally let it run a minute or so longer. There’s a cooking speed balance here between crust and cheese, the hot stone cooks by conduction far faster than you could cook if you had an air gap. This timing will not work if you don’t have a stone, the stone is cooler, or use a pan or pizza grate.
When it’s done, take it out, cut it, and let it cool for a few minutes to avoid scarring your mouth and tongue.

If you decide to use this recipe, always follow the recipe first, but if the crust turns out nice, then I highly recommend getting a wooden and metal pizza peel, or at least a wooden one. This is so you can get your tossing technique down. You need to have a wooden board that is slightly floured so that the pizza will not stick while you put on the toppings, and easily slides onto the pizza stone. Remember that with this, you need to put the toppings on as quickly as possible so the dough does not stick.

It's really the best and cheapest way, and the materials used to do it can be very inexpensive and be much cheaper and rewarding than buying pizzas that are frozen or delivery.

Enjoy

[BlackCats]

Thanks Jjt, it seems quite long and involved but I suppose once I get used to buying the ingredients and the pizza stone, it would be a lot nicer than shop bought frozen ones.
Homemade food does always taste better (but just not the way I make it) I will have to brush up on my culinary skills.

[nervine]

PIZZA HUT PIZZA DOUGH

1 1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/8 teaspoon MSG
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

(You may use all-purpose flour only for this recipe)

Bread machine: Add ingredients to machine bread pan in order
given or as per
manufacturer's instructions. Set to 'dough' mode.

Food processor:
Place water, sugar, salt and olive oil in bowl of food processor
and pulse
to dissolve sugar and salt. Add yeast, bread flour, all purpose
flour other
dry ingredients. Process until a soft ball forms. Remove from
machine and
allow to rest, covered with a tea towel, about 45 minutes.

Dough hook:
Place water, sugar, salt and olive oil in bowl of mixer and
dissolve sugar
and salt. Stir in yeast, bread flour, all purpose flour, other
dry
ingredients and knead with dough hook to form a soft, but not-too
sticky
dough (about 8 minutes). Remove from machine and allow to rest,
covered with
a tea towel about 45 minutes.

By Hand:
In this case, use only all-purpose flour. Place water, sugar,
salt and olive
oil in bowl and dissolve sugar and salt. Stir in yeast, all purpose
flour,
other dry ingredients and knead to form a soft, but not-too sticky
dough
(about 8-l0 minutes). Allow to rest, covered with a tea towel about
45
minutes.

(*) For a breadier pizza dough - depending on taste and recipe
requirements,
you can add an additional 1/4 tsp. yeast.

Deflate dough very gently before using and allow it to rest a
further 15
minutes before using in a recipe. You may refrigerate dough in
an oiled
plastic bag for up to two days.

[Mr Flibble]

I doubt that this recipe is the actual that they use. The recipe you've posted seems to be from http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/...ahutdough.html (copied on other sites since), which includes the word style in the title. You don't need MSG or baking powder to make bread dough.

[Mahk]

I usually buy the pre-made dough and top with sauce and veggies, but I wanted to also mention that the store brand "Trader Joe's" make a knock off to Amy's "Organic Roasted Vegetable" which is much less money and equivalent IMHO. I once bought both to compare and they looked nearly identical. The frozen slab doesn't look all that appetizing but once cooked they are both yummy. I give them both an 8/10 score.

[pat sommer]

I love potato bread and never thought of using it for pizza.....would brown up nicely...
stocking the freezer with one's own pizza bases makes the effort doubly worthwhile.

My pizza stone is a mess 'cause I switched from parchment to semolina (or fine cornmeal) due to the steam accumulating and softening my crust...
I take the stone out and stretch over/top my dough quickly. Works but what a mess!

Here is hint for weekdays: In the morning just stir together 3/4 flour with cold water, salt and half the amount of yeast in large bowl;leave in fridge.
Be surprised haw much the gluten develops without any effort!

[emmy]

I've only ever seen one pre-made pizza base, that was in a health food store.

We buy the pizza mix in boxes from either Tesco or Booths. It comes in a box (like cake mix boxes!) and all you have to do is add water and knead it. It tastes really good!

[thecatspajamas1]

I don't know what is in the UK, but the vegan pizzas that I've seen are:

- Tofutti pizza (has vegan soy cheese and is really good)
- Amy's brand pizzas- there is a no-cheese pizza with veggies/mushrooms, and there is a brand new vegan pizza with soy cheese and rice crust which I have yet to try but want to. (They have other soy cheese pizzas that aren't vegan though.)

Or if you want to make your own quick mini pizzas, just use whole wheat pitas, instead of buying dough/making crust. It's much easier, you can just sprinkle on some sauce and tomatoes (and vegan cheese if you're lucky to have some around), then toast in oven for few minutes.

[cedarblue]

We buy the pizza mix in boxes from either Tesco or Booths. It comes in a box (like cake mix boxes!) and all you have to do is add water and knead it. It tastes really good!

i use these too, but from sains or asda

[GoneVegan]

what about cheese. The only vegan cheese that I have found reasonable is cheddar as a grilled cheese sandwich

Lane

[pat sommer]

Got a 'Wild Oats' nearby? I forget the brand but the vegan mozzarella melts nicely. I prefer Italian pizzas without any cheese -yes, there are a few- potato scallops with rosemary and garlic (no tom.), thin ribbons of zucchini (courgette) over tom sauce with chillies, Aubergine (eggplant) and olives...

[Vegmom]

Do they sell Toffutti there? If so, they make a very yummy vegan frozen pizza. Tastes just like the non-vegan pizza's!

[pat sommer]

nope, no vegan frozen pizzas this side of the pond.

[BlackCats]

pat - that potato scallops pizza sounds lush!!!

[Pob]

Sainsbury's vacuum packed bases are vegan and not too bad as these things go. They are near the dried pasta and jars of pasta sauces. Not a patch on home made, though.

I used them for ages before I tried making my own bases in the breadmaker. I use a mix of wholemeal and seeded flours. Makes a much nicer pizza that doesn't miss cheese on it at all.

[BlackCats]

Pob - make some homemade bases for me and send them to my home please, anytime this week will be fine.

(I have to get a breadmaker, my husband refuses to buy me any more kitchen gadgets that I don't use.)

[Pob]

I'm not sure how well a pizza base will stand up to the postal system.

I should use my breadmaker more - I haven't made a loaf in it for ages, just pizza bases.

Kitchen gadgets are a nightmare. If they're in the cupboards they don't get used, and if they're all out there's no room.

[puffin]

Haha Pob, i know that feeling. My kitchen is hardly big and i have to fight with my cupboard to get anything out of it so i dont bother. I tidy it out now and then and the next day its rearrange itself into disarray again.
I make my own pizza base but i would love a better one if anyone has a fool prof recipe that doesn't involve a bread maker i would appreciate it. I would like one that is less bready and more pizza base like if that makes sense.

[GoneVegan]

We tried the pizza -- well, it's NOT pizza (I grew up in NY. I KNOW pizza) but it wasn't bad!

[Mahk]

mmmm....Ray's vegan pizza....seems impossible, but we can always dream it.

[cedarblue]

i've looked through this thread. i want to make a thin wholewheat pizza dough tonight - a basic recipe not using potato or anything. does anyone have a tried and tested one? could i just use my normal white flour one and simply swap for wholemeal flour or do i need to make any further adjustments?

[Mr Flibble]

You mean you don't put potato in your dough?! you'll be suggesting it's possible to cook without kale and flaxseeds next

I've used brown bread flour before (out of desperation through lack of white) but not wholemeal. Should work, but you may need to fiddle with the formula a bit and wait longer for raising.

[cedarblue]

found this; a delia recipe, it looks ok, think i'll try it.

Quick Wholewheat pizza
225g wholewheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed herbs
freshly milled black pepper
175ml hand-hot water
1 tsp sugar
1tsp dried yeast

Serves 2-4 people.
To make the base, combine the flour, salt,herbs and S & P, then in a jug measure the hand hot water and whisk in the sugar and yeast. Leave it to get a frothy head (about 10 mins), then stir the frothed yeast into the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough. Then press it down into the well greased tin, bringing the dough up the sides of the tin.
Now leave to rise,covered with a damp cloth, for about 25 mins.
Now, push the dough back up the side of the tin if it has slipped during the rising and continue to make as ordinary pizza.

[KrissStress]

precisely the recipe I was about to give and it works like a charm too!

have you ever tried making cashew cheese? Not near as disgusting as it sounds and quite good

[cedarblue]

in the end i used the jamie oliver recipe and just swapped the flour - it was so tasty.

[Maisiepaisie]

Does anyone know if the Napoli brand Pizza bases are vegan? They seem to be at least vegetarian but are not labelled as such. They don't have an allergy list either. I'm too lazy to email them so I was hoping someone here would know

[Lily]

I come bearing good news, fellow pizza lovers!

Looky here....


Tomato & Garlic with Chilli Oil Pizzeria Waitrose 340g


A hand stretched light pizza base enriched with extra virgin olive oil (2%), topped with an Italian inspired marinara sauce of chopped tomatoes, sliced garlic, basil and oregano, finish after baking with chilli infused olive oil



£3.29 (£9.68 per kg)
Suitable for Vegetarians , Suitable for Freezing
Ingredients

Pizza base, marinara sauce (35%), chilli oil sachet (2%), oregano. Pizza base contains wheat flour, water, tomato (with acidity regulator citric acid), extra virgin olive oil (2%), salt, sugar, yeast, emulsifier mono- and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, flour treatment agent L-ascorbic acid. Marinara sauce contains tomatoes (81%) (with acidity regulator citric acid), roasted sliced garlic (10%), extra virgin olive oil, sugar, water, olive oil, salt, modified tapioca starch, basil, black pepper. Chilli oil sachet contains extra virgin olive oil, chilli. Allergens: Contains gluten
Dietary Information

Free from Milk/Lactose.
Free from Egg.
Free from Soya.
Free from Peanut.
Free from Nuts.
Free from Sesame.
Suitable for Vegetarians.
Suitable for Vegans.
Free from Fish.
Free from Mustard.
Free from Celery.
Free from Sulphur Dioxide.


I've had two so far, (they were on special offer - think it was buy 2, save £1 - but that was a couple of weeks ago now) and yes, they are delicious!

[herbivorous bex]

I was thinking when I first opened this thread that I remember Waitrose used to do a vegan pizza, years ago, but I'm pretty sure they stopped doing it - I don't remember the packaging looking like that, but it looks/sounds like the same pizza... I wonder if it is? How strange, I'll have to keep an eye out for that because if it is the one I remember, it was yummy.. really nice soft/gooey base, and you could always add your own toppings to it to jazz it up a bit!

I make my own pizzas all the time and it really is the easiest thing ever, though, and they taste SO good... I never use any more than three ingredients in my bases: flour, yeast, and tepid water. You don't even need to measure it out.. just half a bag of flour, half a sachet of yeast and water til it looks/feels like the right consistency.. knead it, roll it out, and top with tinned tomatoes or pasta sauce, and any toppings you desire.. it's perfect! and so quick, honestly.. the store-bought pizza bases taste like cardboard in comparison! You could always use a ciabatta or baguette as a base though, if you really can't be bothered to stir some flour & water together!!!

For toppings I just use standard pepper, sweetcorn, onion, mushroom, tomato etc.. but it's even better if you roast the vegetables first, YUM!

[harpy]

Thanks for reviving this thread, bex - I missed Lily's posting before and will now have a nose around for the vegan pizza. I agree making one's own is fairly easy but it's nice to know you don't have to.

[ellaminnowpea]

Free from celery and mustard? whahhh?

[harpy]

There are people who are allergic to mustard or celery apparently, poor blighters.

[BlackCats]

I come bearing good news, fellow pizza lovers!
Looky here....
Tomato & Garlic with Chilli Oil Pizzeria Waitrose 340g


Dietary Information

Suitable for Vegans.

OMG, how did I miss this! Thanks Lily.

I am making homemade pizza and garlic bread today. I hope it comes out okay.:smile:

[Mr Flibble]

Waitrose sell 3 products that may well be vegan, but are unconfirmed:

organic frozen stone baked pizza bases:

Stone baked base, organic Italian tomato passata (22%)
Stone baked base contains organic wheat flour, water, organic sunflower oil, salt, yeast
Organic Italian passata contains organic tomato (97%), organic extra virgin olive oil, organic garliw powder, organic oregano, organic black pepper.

They sell a fresh base "Slow-fermented, oven-charred dough made with Italian "00" flour and extra virgin olive oil (5%), topped with San Marzano, garlic and oregano sauce, finished with basil"

They also sell (but not seen it in their stores) "Chargrilled vegetable antipasti pizza with basil oil". It's cheeseless but has ingredients that may be from non vegan sources.

[BlackCats]

Great thanks Mr F.
(I need to find a Waitrose store, I think my local area is too poor to have one nearby.)

[Gorilla]

^ they sound awesome, i hardly ever go to Waitrose but i'll have to see if my local one stocks them.