Homemade Paneer Pizza

wellhealthorganic.com Paneer Pizza: Indulge in the delightful creation of homemade Paneer Pizza crafted from scratch, featuring a medley of toppings including Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), pizza sauce, and mixed veggies, all on a wholesome whole wheat crust.

Paneer Pizza

• Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Cooking Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Cuisine: Fusion, Indian, Italian
• Course: Main Course, Snacks, Starters
• Diet: Vegetarian
• Difficulty Level: Moderate

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

1. 1 teaspoon instant yeast (rapid rise yeast)
2. ½ teaspoon sugar
3. 1 to 1.25 cups lukewarm water, or as required
4. 3 cups whole wheat flour (360 grams)
5. 3 tablespoons olive oil
6. 1 teaspoon salt, or as required
7. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
8. For Paneer and Veggie Marination:
9. 1 cup onion cubes
10. 1 cup bell pepper cubes (any colored bell pepper)
11. ½ cup roughly chopped spinach (optional)
12. 2 tablespoons curd, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
13. 100 grams Paneer or tofu
14. ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
15. ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
16. ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
17. 1 pinch salt, or as needed

Other Ingredients:

1. ½ cup Pizza Sauce, or as required
2. Mozzarella cheese or pizza cheese, as required
3. Mixed herbs or fresh basil, as required
4. Red chili flakes, as required

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Instructions:

Preparing Pizza Dough:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine instant yeast and sugar. Add lukewarm water and mix well until the yeast granules and sugar dissolve.
2. Add whole wheat flour, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Knead into a smooth and soft dough, adding more lukewarm water if necessary. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and supple.
3. Place the dough in a bowl, coat with olive oil, and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow it to leaven for 45 minutes to 2 hours until it doubles in volume.

Preparing Paneer and Veggie Marination:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine onion cubes, bell pepper cubes, and chopped spinach.
2. Add curd or yogurt, paneer cubes, red chilli powder, cumin powder, Garam Masala, and salt. Mix gently to coat the paneer and veggies. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Assembling and Baking Paneer Pizza:

1. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Punch down the leavened dough and divide it into equal parts. Roll each part into a ball.
3. Spread olive oil on a baking tray and sprinkle semolina evenly.
4. Roll out each dough ball into a medium-thick pizza crust.
5. Transfer the crust to the prepared baking tray. Poke holes in the dough with a fork.
6. Spread pizza sauce over the dough, then add mozzarella cheese and marinated veggies and paneer.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the crust is golden and crisp.
8. Remove from the oven, slice, and serve hot. Optionally, garnish with red chili flakes and fresh basil.

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Notes:

• Customize the veggie toppings according to preference.
• All-purpose flour or bread flour can be used instead of whole wheat flour.
• Ensure thorough kneading of the dough for best results.
• Leftover dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for a month.
• Adjust the recipe according to serving requirements.