Kalamata Olive Pizza with Fresh Basil

Pizza Series

Pizzaaaaaaaaa!!! I’m very lucky to have a husband who is ABSOLUTELY skilled in pizza making, I mean, let’s toss the dough in the air type skills! Pair that with my deep love of pizza….match made in heaven! We enjoy experimenting with different variations of pizza at home, throwbacks to old-school favorites (shout out to L&Bs in Brooklyn!), and our own twists from travel. Use a ready-made crust or dough, make your own, or do what we do and hit up your local pizza shop and ask to buy some dough. Doughs can be very different so make your choice based on the type of crust you like to enjoy, from NY style to Neopolitan, don’t stop experimenting! 

This recipe uses ready-made ingredients, if you’d like to make your own dough and sauce check out these recipes below! 

30 Minute Pizza:

Ingredients:

1 Pizza Crust/Pizza Dough (ready-made)

 3-4 TBS Tomato Sauce (SUGGESTION ONLY, to taste really!) 

1 Bunch Fresh Basil 

1/4 cup Halved Kalamata Olives 

1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese (Plant-Based or Regular)

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Plant-Based or Regular)

4 TBS Flour OR Semolina OR Coarse Cornmeal (Urban Shaman Pro Tip: Use the cornmeal or semolina for your dough working surface for an added crunch to your final crust) 

Optional:

1/2 Cup Protein of your choice (Plant-Based or Regular) 

2 TBS Nutritional Yeast (can be used to replace Parmesan or in addition to)

Optional Step 1. This step is optional and works best when using “fresh” dough and not the frozen pre-formed variety! We’ve found that par-baking the crust in the oven creates a better foundation when laying the sauce and expedites the “final” cooking time. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F

2. On a flat surface, sprinkle the flour or cornmeal/semolina and work the pizza dough using your hands into an even circle to fit your pizza pan (Urban Shaman Tip: If you don’t have a pizza pan, flip a large baking sheet to use the flat surface). When you’ve formed a circle, using two hands gently create an indent approximately 1/4”-1/2” away from the edges (for the edges of the crust to rise).

3. Lay the dough onto your pan and place in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

4. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F

2. On a flat surface, sprinkle the flour or cornmeal/semolina and work the pizza dough using your hands into an even circle to fit your pizza pan (Urban Shaman Tip: If you don’t have a pizza pan, flip a large baking sheet to use the flat surface. If your pan is not non-stick, lay parchment paper under the dough). When you’ve formed a circle, using two hands gently create an indent approximately 1/4”-1/2” away from the edges (for the edges of the crust to rise). Arrange the dough on the pan.

3. Spread the sauce on the dough (start with 3-4 TBS, it's your pizza so you choose how much sauce goes on it!) and start layering your ingredients by preference remembering not to overcrowd the pizza, heavy ingredients lead to a soggy crust! If you choose to use the nutritional yeast I recommend sprinkling it on the sauce for a deeper parmesan flavor, or mix 2 TBS of grated parmesan into the sauce!

4. Place the completed pizza into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is puffy and golden, approximately 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven).

5. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, add basil leaves for garnish, slice and serve!

Fresh Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
2-2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
1.5 teaspoons sugar

3/4 tsp salt
2 TBS olive oil 

3/4 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
   

2. Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined.

3. Slowly add another 1 cup of flour. (Urban Shaman Pro Tip: keep the 1/3 cup flour next to you as you may need to adjust the recipe by adding more, always start with small quantities such as 1TBS at a time), stir until the dough is forming a ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The consistency of the dough should be slightly sticky and easy to be managed by your hands.

4. In a separate bowl, drizzle some olive oil to coat all sides of the bowl, and spread with a brush or your fingers. Sprinkle some flour on your hands and with them start gently forming a ball from your dough. When you formed the ball, transfer it to the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and a towel. Try to keep it in a relatively warm place for about 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.

5. When your dough has doubled in size, gently press it with your hand and transfer it to a lightly floured flat surface and knead it with your hands about 3-4 times. Try not to overwork the dough.

6. On a flat surface, sprinkle the flour or cornmeal/semolina and work the pizza dough using your hands into an even circle to fit your pizza pan (Urban Shaman Tip: If you don’t have a pizza pan, flip a large baking sheet to use the flat surface). When you’ve formed a circle, using two hands gently create an indent approximately 1/4”-1/2” away from the edges (for the edges of the crust to rise).

Fresh Pizza Sauce

This sauce requires no advanced cooking, use a food processor, blender, or your hands to blend the ingredients and spread it directly on your dough. 

Ingredients:

1 tsp Garlic Powder 

1 tsp Oregano

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 can Pureed Tomato 

1 can Crushed Tomato 

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, pour in the pureed tomato, crushed tomato, spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands or gently pulse once or twice in the food processor/blender to blend, leaving as much of the crushed tomato intact as possible.

2. Spread directly onto pizza dough.