Since ditching dairy way back in January, I’ve been playing around with vegan cheese alternatives and pizza toppings so I could create the real deal at home. MozzaRisella is by far the best melty mozzarella alternative that I’ve come across, and as it tastes much lighter than real cheese I now much prefer it. I cut mine up into small chunks as I find it melts the best that way. I always make wholemeal pizza dough as I find it much tastier than using white flour, and of course it’s far healthier too. It’s super easy to make and is best left to rise overnight before being used the next day.
The secret to getting an authentic crispy base is to do the cooking in two parts. Start off by heating your oven to 260°c. Yes, really. Once your pizza base is stretched out, put it straight onto a frying pan (no oil) that has been left on high heat for long enough to be searingly hot. Then add a few tablespoons of the sauce (Pizza Express passata) and once it starts to bubble add on your MozzaRisella, followed by the rest of the toppings. Then whack it straight into your furnace of an oven and leave for around ten minutes until the crust has browned and the cheese has fully melted. Easy as that!
COURGETTE, GREEN PEPPER, ARTICHOKE AND BASIL
Courgette and green pepper – grilled on high heat
Artichoke – marinated/pre-bought
Basil – added on just after coming out of the oven
MEATBALLS, RED PEPPER, SWEET MUSTARD AND PICKLED PEPPERS
Meatballs – Sainsbury’s/VBites
Red pepper – grilled on high heat
Mustard – Red’s (this is the best ever)
Pickled peppers – added on just after coming out of the oven