30 Minute Pizza Crust - Pesto Pizza with Homemade Veggie Italian Sausage

It was one of those nights, when cooking seems like the hardest thing to do - yes, it happens, even to me. And then Vegan Richa's new post popped up and she promised a 30 minute pizza crust. Intriguing and turns out, quite good!

Oddly enough it is a normal crust - flour, water, yeast, oil, salt. There is very little rise period, which makes for a very crispy crust. Take care not to overbake it or it will be too crispy!

Having just made some veggie Italian sausage and being gifted with two huge bunch of fresh basil, it was perfect for a pesto pizza with pan fried sausage on top!

Do note that I made my crust with spelt flour so the water in the recipe is slightly less; check Richa's recipe for the wheat flour version.

30 Minute Pizza Crust (from Vegan Richa)

1 cup white spelt flour, plus more for kneading
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 435 degrees. Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl and allow it to sit so the yeast can activate. Add in the flour, salt and olive oil and mix well to combine. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until it comes together in a smooth ball. Rub olive oil over the ball and set back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Remove dough and with floured hands gently stretch it into a circle 13-14 inches in diameter on a baking sheet dusted with flour. Allow it to rest another 15 minutes. Spoon sauce over dough, top with cheese and other desired toppings. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese melts and dough is done (you should be able to lift it up with a spatula). Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before cutting.

Hugs!