Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Pizza

This dish is the collaborative effort of my husband, Paul, and I. He has a knack for dough, making beautiful thin crust pizzas and crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside loaves of bread from scratch. He also likes to experiment with different dough recipes and was looking to try something new. This is what we came up with: part deep-dish pizza, part roasted vegetable pie. It's perfect when you want more vegetables with your pizza or a pie without the buttery pastry.

3 c. flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. warm water
2 1/2 tsp. yeast (or single pack)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp. for brushing dough

1 eggplant, sliced

2 zucchini, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

pinch salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
400 g. canned diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Stir gently to combine and let sit for 5-7 minutes to activate the yeast, before adding the oil. Form a well in the centre of the flour. Slowly pour the liquid into the well while stirring and integrating the flour. Once all the liquid has been added, kneed the dough for 2-3 minutes to bring it together and create a smooth, elastic ball. Dust with flour as needed to prevent from sticking to the bowl or your hands. Lightly brush the ball with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Cover with cling wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 2 hours or until double in size.

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Place the vegetables on baking sheets in a single layer. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake the zucchini for 20 minutes, the eggplant and peppers for 25-30 minutes, until tender, turning halfway.

In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat, until it starts to brown. Add the vinegar and cook for one minute before adding the tomatoes, sugar, salt and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce and soften the tomatoes. 

Grease a pie plate, springform pan or another deep 8 or 9" baking dish. Divide the dough in two - one half larger than the other. Sprinkle a clean, flat work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the bigger dough until 6 inches larger than the dish. Carefully place inside. Add a layer of each vegetable followed by half the cheese. Repeat, ending 1 inch from the top of the dish. Roll out the remaining dough to the size of the pan and place directly on top of the filling. You want to create a bowl-like shape to hold the tomato sauce (and avoid making a mess of your oven!). Cut off the excess dough, leaving half an inch to fold in and create a typical crust. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Top with a generous layer of sauce and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown and sauce is bubbling.