falafelpizza!

We love pizza. A lot. So much so that in addition to our regular pizza nights, I try finding ways to sneak pizza in on other nights too! Like the time I made the Italian Seitan Pizza.. This time, I decided I wanted a falafel pizza, because, falafel is awesome!


This pizza has all the great flavors of a falafel paired with fresh herbs and tomatoes and a delicious, crunchy, whole wheat crust.

You will need:
-Pizza crust
-Hummus
-Falafel dough
-Fresh herbs and tomatoes 


1. The crust

First off, I made my crust, I used this recipe, which has now become my go to recipe because it was so delicious! This crust held up really well to all the toppings I added. When making your own crust, it is really best to invest in a pizza stone, they make your home made crust even better! I start by preheating my oven to 400 degrees and adding the stone to pre-heat for about 45 minutes before I add the crust.


Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (120 - 125°F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon gluten


-Start by proofing your yeast by adding the package to the warmed water along with the sugar and allowing it to set for 10 minutes, after the 10 minutes, add in the oil and mix.
-Mix dry ingredients together and add in the wet, kneading well. Add in more flour if sticky or water if dry.
-Allow to rise in a warm place. I allowed mine to rise for about 45 minutes, but you can do it for a longer period as well. Roll out.
-I then added cornmeal to the pizza stone and placed my rolled out dough onto it. I pre-baked the crust for 10 minutes.


While the dough is rising you can start on the pizza toppings:


2. Hummus

For the pizza "sauce" I used hummus, which I used home made. You can add extra water or olive oil if you prefer a thinner , more sauce like topping.




3. Falafel dough

Then, I made the falafel using my recipe here. Instead of forming into balls, I spread the falafel batter out onto a greased cookie sheet and put it into the oven (while the pizza stone was in there) for about 10 minutes to get it nice and crispy.


Once your pizza crust has pre-cooked, add the hummus and the falafel topping and bake in the oven (still at the 400 degrees) for about 15-20 minutes.

4. Toppings


Then, top with fresh parsley, cilantro, and chopped tomatoes. And drizzle with tahini for good measure!