Peperonata Pizza

Peperonata is a southern Italian stew of shallots, sweet peppers, garlic, and often tomatoes. It's wonderful and hugely versatile. You could serve it simply with toasted bread or with pasta but we like to make it into a pizza. In this recipe we've omitted the tomatoes for a drier peperonata and to really bring the sweet peppers to the fore.

Pepperonata Pizza

Dietary: Vegan | Makes: 4 individual pizzas

Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g white bread flour
• 300ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp dried active yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 mixed red, orange and yellow peppers, sliced
• 2 banana shallots, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 100ml white wine
• 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed well
• salt and black pepper
• fresh oregano leaves for sprinkling

Method

1. To make the pizza dough whisk together the yeast, sugar and water, and leave until frothy, which takes 5 -10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and olive oil together, stir in the frothy yeast mixture and mix by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook to a soft-ball consistency.
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with cling-film and leave to rise until double in size.
5. To make the pizza topping heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
6. Fry the sliced peppers for about 10 minutes, lower the heat and then add the shallots. Continue to cook slowly for 5 minutes, then add the sliced garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes until the shallot and peppers are soft and beginning to brown.
7. Increase the heat a little, add the wine and allow to reduce down till syrupy.
8. Add the capers and season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.
9. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
10. To cook the pizzas, heat the oven to 225C°fan. Place a pizza stone or large heavy baking tray in the centre of the oven to heat up.
11. When the dough has doubled in size, remove onto a floured work surface, and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each into a neat ball, and rest for 5 minutes.
12. Take one ball of dough and roll out with a rolling pin until it is the size of a dinner plate. You may find it easier to gently pull and stretch the dough into shape.
13. Carefully remove the now hot baking stone (take great care whilst doing this!) or baking tray, place the pizza on, and quickly cover with a quarter of the pepper mix. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the dough is crisp and golden.
14. Repeat with the remaining dough and peppers.
15. Serve straight away garnished with oregano leaves.

Find more inspiration with sweet peppers and chillies, check out Rachel's October 2017 column in Vegetarian Living magazine.

Delicious food photography by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures.

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