You know when you do something that you think you are pretty good at. And then you see someone else doing it a hundred times better, and you realize that you have been sucking at it the whole time. That is how we felt when we ordered a vegetarian pizza from a small ristorante on Sicily, a few years back. The way they put topping on a pizza, mama mia, that is how it was meant to look like (and taste!). Forget about the traditional vegetariana, with a few vegetables in pretty looking patterns. These pizzas were topped with at least ten different ingredients. And instead of arranging them in plain patterns, they were stacked upon each other in a big pile. There were tomatoes, onions, spinach, olives, big chunks of garlic, artichokes, mushrooms, marinated eggplant and zucchini, big pre boiled potatoes … and a lot more. The lesson we learned from that day, don’t be shy when you decorate a pizza. Just throw as many vegetables on it as you can fit.
These pizzas are inspired from that sicilian restaurant, but instead of making one giant pizza we made mini versions. It has probably been said a zillion times before, but this is a great thing to do for a party. Prepare all the ingredients and a big batch of pizza dough (you can prepare the dough the day before), then let everyone decorate their own pizza.
Regarding the dough. About a year ago we made potato pizza on a rye dough. That recipes was so good that we have been sticking with it since then. This time we used the same recipe, but switched rye for spelt flour, and it turned out just as good as the rye dough. We have tried a few different gluten free pizza doughs, but we never found one with the same elasticity as our dough. So if you have the perfect recipe for a gluten free pizza dough, please write it or link to it in the comment field, and we will try them out next time.
Vegetarian Mini Pizza
Makes around 8 – 10 small pizzas (5-inch) or 1 large
As we mentioned above you can use almost anything as topping, we have only written some suggestions. We marinate the zucchini and eggplant and make a proper tomato sauce ourselves, if you want to make it easier for yourself you can buy these things pre-made in the supermarket.
Dough:
1 cup/2,4 dl lukewarm water
2 tsp instant dry yeast
2 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 cup/6 dl spelt flour (we used light)
2 tbsp olive oil
Tomato sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp capers (drained)
a pinch of dried chili
1 1/2 cup/3,6 dl of canned tomatoes
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried oregano
salt & black pepper
Topping:
4 pre boiled potatoes
250 g marinated artichoke hearts
100 g kalamata olives
1 zuchini (marinated)
1 eggplant (marinated)
4 brown mushrooms, cut in quarters
1/4 fennel, thin slices
300 g small tomatoes
2 small spring onions, divided in half
1/2 broccoli100 g goat cheese
salt & black pepper
fresh aragula, put it on after the pizza has been in the oven
Making the dough: Pour warm water in a medium size bowl. Add salt and yeast and stir around. Mix in 2 cups of flour. Gradually add more flour until the dough comes together enough for you to start kneading it. Knead for a couple of minutes, add additional flour if it sticks to your hands. Put the dough back in the bowl and drizzle it with olive oil. Work the dough until it’s completely covered in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours.
Making the tomato sauce: Heat olive oil in a medium size pot. Add onion, garlic, and chili and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add capers and fresh tomatoes and spices and cook for 10 minutes, lower the heat and let it simmer for half an hour more under a lid.
Preheat the oven to the highest possible temperature (450-500°F). Remove the plastic cover from the dough and start working it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Make 8 to 10 small portions. Stretch and flatten the dough until you get the desired size and thickness that you prefer and move it to a baking pan covered with parchment paper. Spelt flour doesn’t stretch as good as wheat flour but if you work carefully and flatten it with the palm of your hand you will get it right. Another trick is to roll them out directly on the parchment paper with a slightly floured rolling pin and then just move the parchment paper to the baking pan.
Brush the dough with 2 tbsp tomato sauce. Cover them with topping of your choice. Bake for about 10-15 min until the outer part of the topping and the edges are slightly burnt. Sprinkle with fresh goat cheese, a bit of olive oil, fresh aragula, salt and freshly grounded pepper. Serve immediately.
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57 Comments
Are you a professional food photographer? You should be! Simply gorgeous!
These are works of art! I totally agree, a creative mess is the most beautiful thing! (and tasty!)
Stunning pictures. I love the idea of adding TONS of veggies and making mini versions!
Each of these looks so wonderful. I could just eat that filling and be satisfied!
Those look delicious! I love the variety and the fact that they’re mini. So beautiful :)
So pretty! I haven’t made pizza at home in awhile, but these are sure inspiring me.
These are super little mini pizzas for teens! We love doing this for birthdays or get-togethers where they can all make their own. Yours look delicioso!
I make a really nice gluten-free pizza dough. It isn’t elastic in any way, I really don’t think you would ever find a gluten-free one that is?! But it is really tasty. The quinoa flour keeps it nice and light.
http://mydarlinglemonthyme.blogspot.com/2011/03/gluten-free-pizza-recipe.html
These are beautiful. We have plans for grilling pizza this weekend. I like the idea of the smaller size…and all the beautiful veggies.
Delicious looking disks of deliciousness! Beautiful post. I’ve got a tuna and creme fraiche one on my blog but I need to fire the photographer (me!) as I can’t hope to compete with your lovely offering.
Yes! Now this is my kind of pizza! I’ve never been to Sicily, but I’ve always topped my pizzas with more veggies than most and always got funny looks from people who topped there’s with lots of cheese! Beautiful, can’t wait to try your crust too!
Droolallert! They all look gorgeous, so yumyumyummy!
those are breathtakingly beautiful pizzas. I need to try your dough recipe!
These look amazing! I can tell you know what you’re talking about when it comes to toppings! And I love that you used spelt.
These are incredible! And now I feel like what I’ve been making has been sucking the whole time, so you’ve effectively passed that torch ;)
Thank you for these recipes!
These are some of the best looking pizzas I have ever seen!! Beauties…
Homemade pizza is a staple in our household. It is a fab way to use up leftovers. I find that spelt works very well in the base. I never make it with regular 00 flour ever. I love your toppings and the quaintness of the bite sizes you have created. Very nice indeed.
Your pizzas look amazing!!! I made spelt flour dough few times and I love it…now I’d like to try your rye version… ^_^
Holy moly! These pizzas look fabulouso! Time to through a pizza party soon. :)
These look super delicious! I’m on the search for a gluten free pizza dough as well as I’m organizing a birthday party for my grandma and I really hate when people with special diets have “their own food”.
Your introduction made me laugh. Your mini pizzas look beautiful. You recommend going to Sicilia? I am a big fan of Italy but I have never been there.
Hi Claudia, we do recommend Sicily. We rented a car and drove around for ten days. It was an amazing trip, so many beautiful places to see. Although it must be said that Palermo is one of the most chaotic cities we have experienced, especially by car…
/David
I seriously can’t stop thinking about pizza now. These look amazing
i love them, they are so cute :) Beautiful pictures!
yum! love the minis!
those pizzas are beautiful! I love the mini size and the way they’re loaded with vegetables. In “Babycakes Covers the Classics” there is a recipe for gluten free pizza dough. There is also a vegetable tart which uses a gluten free dough that’s probably more similar to typical pizza dough.
Love it!
They look so cute and delicious! great recipe!
Now I’m back looking at your kick-ass pizzas for the 20th time or so…. Must make them soon! ;)
wow. wow, wow, wow. love this idea.
How do I store the leftover dough? Made a bunch today! Tunis.
Hi Julie, you can store the dough in a plastic covered bowl in the fridge for a couple of days.
/Luise
Absolutely beautiful! Making this tonight. Tomorrow night. Now, and forever. Amen.
Your pizzas are beautiful! I love the idea of making big piles of toppings. Thanks for the delicious inspiration. :)
Thank you for this recipe. We made this pizza dough and sauce and have been making it ever since. Absolutely delicious!
Just letting you know that this is by far the best pizza I’ve had in my life. I’ve used your recipe tonight and the results are up on my new blog, if you’re interested. I decided to start a food blog again after feeling inspired by yours. Thanks for sharing the love xx
this is a brilliant idea. just wondering what quantity of fresh tomatoes to use instead of canned ones for the sauce.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Love the blog and love this recipe.
Your pizzas are beautiful!!! Looks yummie!
I have been trying quite a few gluten free pizza dough recipes… Now I am using the naturally gluten free norwegian “Jyttemjöl” which is the best I´ve been using for gluten free baking so far. Here´s my own very best pizza dough recipe (in swedish…). I throw in my amazing tomato sauce recipe as well! :-)
Bästa glutenfria pizzadegen
25 g färsk jäst
2,5 dl ljummet vatten
1 msk olivolja
0,5 msk honung
0,5 tsk salt
4 dl Jyttemjöl original
1 msk fiberhusk
Lös upp jästen i ljummet vatten blandat med olivolja, honung och salt. Tillsätt jyttemjöl och fiberhusk. Knåda degen på lågt varvtal i matberedaren 5-10 minuter, tills degen släpper kanten. Låt jäsa övertäckt 1 timme. Den här degen jäser som en deg ska göra!
Tryck ut degen på väl oljad plåt med blöta händer, skölj av blöt händerna igen när dom blir kladdiga. Glutenfri deg är kladdig och går inte att kavla. Låt jäsa ytterligare 15 min på plåten.
Förgrädda 5-10 min i 225 grader, varmluft.
Bred ut den hemgjorda tomatsåsen och lägg på massa gott! Grädda i 225 grader 15-20 minuter.
Ju mindre pizzor man gör, desto mindre risk att pizzan blir kladdig i mitten! Vi gör dubbel sats och 3 pizzor av det (nästa gång får det blir minipizzor!).
Världens godaste tomatsås (mammas gamla äkta italienska recept med min touch)
0,5-1 gul lök
1 vitlöksklyfta
2 msk olivolja
1 burk krossade tomater av god kvalitet
1 tsk socker/honung/agavesirap
Salt, svartpeppar
0,5-1 tsk basilika (gärna fryst)
0,5-1 tsk oregano (torkad)
1-2 lagerblad
2-3 msk tomatpuré
Följ ordningen nedan exakt, för bästa resultat!
Hacka löken fint, mjukstek i olivolja i kastrull på låg värme 5-10 min, tillsätt vitlök och krossade tomater, låt småkoka utan lock i 15 min. Tillsätt salt, peppar, socker, låt puttra 10 min. Tillsätt örtkryddor + lagerblad, koka 15 min. Tillsätt tomatpuré (ofta har jag inte det hemma, men den blir god ändå!) och låt svalna lite.
I love creating pizza, in fact it is my hobby and at the same time my passion. Thanks for this recipe I have another pizza treat to bake.
Love all of the mini pizzas! Veggie pizzas are the best!
i made these last night and they were wonderful! thank you so much for the great recipe :).
This looks delicious! May I ask how you marinated the eggplant and zuchini? Thanks!
Hi Clau Garza!
Here is a description from our Moroccan Quinoa Salad
“Start by making the marinated vegetables. Spread out the zucchini and eggplant slices on a bbq, in a grill pan or in the oven, a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt over them and set aside.” You can also add a splash of balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Happy cooking
/Luise
Hejsan! :)
I just wanted to know if this recipe was based on the American “cup”, or the Swedish “decilitre”? I’m Canadian, but I’m living in Sweden right now, and wondered which measurement I should use. Also, can any flour be used (regular white flour, whole wheat flour) instead of spelt flour?
Thank you! And I love your blog :) :)
Hi Julea!
Thank you for your comment :-)
The recipe is based on american cups. We have only made the pizzas on rye or spelt. But give it try with any other kind, my guess is that it would work fine.
Happy baking
/Luise
The Pizzas look delicious! Just wanted to know if the recipe for the rye flour dough remains the same i.e. I just substitute 2 and half cups of rye flour in place of spelt four?
These mini pizzas look adorable and yummy. I would love to make them for a little dinner soire.
We’Re big fans of your blog and made these pizzas already a few times and every time they are super delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
My boyfriend and I are planning our trip to Sicily in September and I was wondering if you had some good tips? (restaurants, hotels,must see/do) Thank you!
I’m not sure if you know this, but I think Apple featured your pizzas for a few seconds in an iPad ad, where they were demonstrating how the iPad browses the web!
Here’s a link to the ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDvweiW5ZKQ
LOL I just came to post I saw this in an iPad commercial and knew what website it was from :) I knew it was from here! Your picture is so great!
I’ve made these for a party, they were pretty and delicious, the only thing I didn’t do was adding salt to the yeast because I was told that it destroys it (?)
Thank you!
I made these tonight – homemade dough, sauce, and all! I even made a homemade vegan goat “cheese” to go with them. Delicious!
I’m an au pair for a very health-conscious mom, and I made these for lunch today. They were healthy and delicious, a huge hit with all. Thanks for the recipe!
beautiful pictures and perfect snack!
What a cool twist on pizza! And seriously beautiful pictures! You have a gorgeous site. I love finger food, especially for get-togethers, so this is perfect…thank you!
The one with cocktail tomatoes look amazing. Beautiful dish for a the next party!