WWW.FREI-STYLE.COMEggplant Pizza with Candied Walnuts
Ingredients
For the pizza dough
- 300 gr (10.5 oz.) all-purpose flour (or pizza flour)
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 190 ml (generous 3/4 cup) lukewarm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
For the topping
- 1 to 2 eggplants (depending on size)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 to 5 Tbsp tomato sauce
- 4 to 5 Tbsp mozzarella (grated)
For the candied walnuts
- 2 to 3 Tbsp walnuts (roughly chopped)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp water
To serve
- 20 gr (0.7 oz.) Parmesan (shaved)
- fresh basil (a few leaves)
Equipment: oven with pizza stone or upside-down baking sheet (or pizza oven), pizza peel, large bowl, sieve and clean kitchen towel, baking sheet with parchment paper, small pan, knife and cutting board
Instructions
Make the pizza dough
- 1.Mix the flour, dry yeast and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the water and olive oil and bring everything together into a dough.
- 2.Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 3.Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours until roughly doubled in size. Then divide into 2 portions and shape into balls.
Prepare the eggplant
- 1.Cut the eggplants into thin slices of about 5 mm (1/4 inch), sprinkle with salt and leave in a sieve for 30 minutes.
- 2.Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) conventional heat. Pat the eggplant slices thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- 3.Spread the slices out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and season with pepper, garlic powder and a little salt.
- 4.Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned, then take them out of the oven.
Candy the walnuts
- 1.Heat the sugar and water in a small pan until the sugar has melted.
- 2.Add the chopped walnuts and stir until they are coated all over with the sugar mixture.
- 3.Tip the nuts onto parchment paper, pull them apart with a fork and let them cool.
Top and bake the pizza
- 1.Set the oven with a pizza stone or upside-down baking sheet to maximum heat without the fan and preheat for at least 30 minutes. Heat a pizza oven to about 450°C (842°F).
- 2.On a floured surface, stretch one dough ball into a thin round and place it on a floured pizza peel.
- 3.Spread thinly with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp grated mozzarella and arrange half of the eggplant slices on top.
- 4.Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 4 to 5 minutes until the crust bubbles and browns. In a pizza oven, 1 to 2 minutes are enough. Bake the second pizza the same way.
Serve
- 1.Right after baking, scatter the shaved Parmesan and candied walnuts over the pizza, garnish with fresh basil and serve straight away.
Notes
Tip from my kitchen: slice the eggplant really thin, then it turns tender in the oven and almost crisp at the edges. Parmesan is traditionally made with animal rennet, so for the vegetarian version I use a hard cheese made with microbial rennet. The candied nuts are easy to make ahead, so feel free to make a double batch. If you like it spicier, add a few chili flakes or a drizzle of honey over the finished pizza.
Nutrition per serving: 950 kcal · 25 g protein
MY NOTES
Ten more easy vegan dinners, free: frei-style.com/ebook