18 The Veggie Recipe

Preheat and prepare surface

Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). If using a pizza stone, place it on the middle rack while preheating. Lightly dust a work surface or pizza peel with the all-purpose flour.

If your dough is refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes so it's easier to stretch. Roll or stretch the dough into a 12-inch round (or desired shape), leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust.

Transfer the stretched dough to a pizza peel or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the outer 1/2-inch of the crust lightly with olive oil to promote browning.

Evenly spoon the tomato pizza sauce over the dough, leaving the oiled rim exposed (about 1/2 inch). Use the back of the spoon to spread it in a thin, even layer.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauced dough, followed by the grated Parmesan to add flavor and help brown the top.

Arrange the sliced mushrooms in an even layer over the cheese. If your mushrooms are very wet, pat them dry first to avoid a soggy pizza.

Scatter the sliced black olives evenly across the pizza so each slice will have olives.

Distribute the thinly sliced red onion evenly over the pizza. For a milder onion flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes, drain and pat dry before topping.

Add the thinly sliced green bell pepper across the pizza in an even layer.

Top with sliced banana peppers arranged to your preference (use more or less depending on heat tolerance).

Sprinkle the dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper evenly over the assembled pizza.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10–14 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.

Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 2–3 minutes. Slice into 6–8 slices, serve hot.