Veg Out Recipe

Preheat oven

Place a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes. If you don't have a stone, preheat to 475°F (245°C) with the sheet.

If using refrigerated dough, let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes to relax. Lightly flour your work surface and stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust.

Brush the top of the stretched dough lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil, leaving the outer 1/2-inch bare for the crust. Spread 3 tablespoons pizza sauce evenly over the dough, stopping about 1/2-inch from the edge.

Clean the baby portabella mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice thinly. If mushroom stems are large, trim and slice them as well.

Thinly slice the green bell pepper into strips (about 1/8–1/4 inch thick) and separate into pieces.

Thinly slice the red onion into half-moon strips. If you prefer milder onion flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Slice the Roma tomato into 1/8-inch rounds. If tomatoes are very watery, lightly pat the slices with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Slice the black olives into rounds if not pre-sliced.

Toss the sliced mushrooms, green pepper strips, and red onion in a mixing bowl with a pinch of kosher salt (from the measured amount) and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil (use from extra-virgin olive oil if desired) — this helps draw out moisture from mushrooms and seasons the vegetables before they go on the pizza.

Lightly sauté the mushroom/pepper/onion mix in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes until they release some moisture and begin to soften. This step prevents the pizza from becoming soggy; if you prefer raw, you may skip sautéing but expect a slightly fresher, crisper texture.

Sprinkle 1.5 cups aged mozzarella evenly over the sauced dough, leaving the crust edge clear.

Evenly distribute the sautéed mushrooms, green peppers, and red onion over the cheese.

Arrange the Roma tomato slices on top, spacing them to cover the pizza without overlapping too heavily.

Scatter the sliced black olives over the pizza.

Sprinkle the dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining pinch of kosher salt (if any), and freshly ground black pepper evenly across the assembled pizza.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated stone or inverted sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and blistered and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. If using 475°F (245°C), bake 10–14 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Tear fresh basil leaves and scatter over the hot pizza as a garnish, if using. Let pizza sit another minute, then slice into 8 slices.