Method

Start by making the dough for the pizza base. Add the dried yeast to 250ml of warm water and stir to dissolve. This should be left to stand for about 5 minutes, until there are bubbles forming on the surface

Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Once the yeast is ready, make a well in the flour and add 1 table spoon olive oil, followed by the yeast mixture. Stir well to combine into a dough. You can start this with a spoon but once it starts to form it will be easier to use your hands. Once the dough has formed, sprinkle your work surface with flour and knead the dough for for 5-8 minutes until it is elastic and smooth. If the dough feels too wet, add a a little more flour, but be careful not to over do it.

At this point separate the dough into 2 balls. Put each ball into an individual bowl with 1/2 table spoon olive oil on the bottom of the bowel. Cover with a damp towel and leave to rise for about an hour.

To make the sauce heat a saucepan over a medium heat, once hot add olive oil, onion and a pinch of salt. Sautee this for 5 minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant, then add the dried herbs, tomato puree and balsamic vinegar. Combine everything together in the pan and cook for another minute. 

Add in the chopped tomatoes, caster sugar and season with black pepper, stir to combine and then reduce the heat slightly and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fresh basil for the last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Once your sauce and dough are ready, lightly flour your worksurface and put one of the dough balls in the flour and lightly knead it to coat before rolling it out into a pizza base. You do not want to roll it too thin, and it does not need to be perfectly round.

To make the stuffed crust put some vegan cheese around the edge of the pizza base, along with some pickle if you want the cheese and pickle stuffed crust. Fold the pizza edge of the base in on itself to encase.

Spread some sauce on the pizza, top with more grated vegan cheese and vegan pepperoni.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200C / 392F.