Sweet Peppers & Onion Pizza

This veggie-loaded pizza builds everything from scratch, starting with a whole wheat crust that bakes up thin and crispy on a cornmeal-dusted sheet pan. Sweet red and yellow bell peppers, yellow onion, mushrooms, and garlic go on top of a simple tomato paste base with fat-free mozzarella.

The whole wheat flour gives the crust a nutty flavor and slightly more chew than a pure white flour dough. Rolling it thin is key here. You want the dough stretched to cookie-sheet size so it crisps up in the hot oven instead of turning bready. The cornmeal on the pan adds a sandy crunch on the bottom that keeps the crust from going soggy under all those toppings.

Use the tomato paste sparingly. A light brush across the dough is all you need. Too much and it overwhelms the sweet peppers, which are really the star here. Slice them thin so they soften and caramelize at the edges during baking.

Chef Tips

• Pat the canned mushrooms and tomatoes dry before adding them. Extra moisture is the enemy of a crispy crust.
• The dough doesn’t need to rise. Mix it, roll it, and get it in the oven while it’s still warm from the hot water.
• Brush the outer crust edge with a little olive oil before baking for extra color and crunch.

Variations

• Add sliced black olives and artichoke hearts for a Mediterranean spin.
• Swap fat-free mozzarella for fresh mozzarella or crumbled goat cheese if you’re not watching fat intake.