For the good part of my life, I never craved pizza. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but to me, it was an indulgent meal meant for pigging out days only. I know, I’m crazy. It wasn’t until several years ago that I really started to appreciate dough topped with various toppings. Nowadays, I actually think about what pizza to make next – I even have a pizza stone. Today, I decided to mix it up a little and make a spicy vegetarian pizza. Here is my spicy chipotle Mexican pizza, possibly one of my best creations yet. It’s spicy, it’s a little sweet, and it’s a whole lot of tasty.

Serves 30 minutes

88

Spicy Chipotle Mexican Pizza

Yields 1 12-inch pizza

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Ingredients

Pizza dough
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F)
• 2 ½ cups bread flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
Toppings
• 2 tbsp chipotle canned in adobo sauce
• 14 ounces pizza sauce
• 2 cups kale, torn into small pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 corn, shucked
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
• ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cotija
• 1 tsp lime zest
• juice of ½ lime

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Place a pizza stone in the middle rack of the oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Heat the pizza stone for 1 hour. Alternatively, heat a baking sheet flipped upside down in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Combine 2 tsp active dry yeast with 1 tsp granulated sugar and 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir to gently mix and let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy. Add 2 ½ cups bread flour, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp salt. Knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. Blend together 14 ounces pizza sauce with 2 tbsp chipotle. Set aside.
5. Massage 2 cups kale with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix 1 shucked corn with ½ tsp chili powder and 1 tsp olive oil.
6. Dust a clean work counter with flour and using your hands, roll the pizza into a 12-inch circle. If using a baking sheet, roll the pizza dough on parchment paper dusted with flour. Spread the chipotle pizza sauce on the dough. Tear the mozzarella and scatter on the top followed by kale, red onion, and corn. Carefully transfer the pizza onto the baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for 7-8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Sprinkle 2 tbsp cotija on top, squeeze fresh lime juice and finish with lime zest. Serve immediately.

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**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Out of all the pizza recipes I’ve shared, I realized I haven’t shared my basic pizza dough. Forgive me! The sourdough pizza dough is a great one but if you’re looking for a standard recipe, this is my go-to one. Since it has a high amount of yeast, you only need to rest the dough for 10 minutes. Pizza dough that doesn’t need to rest for 1 hour? Now that’s what I’m talking about!

While the dough is resting, gather the rest of the ingredients. This spicy chipotle Mexican pizza is vegetarian but you can easily add any protein of your choice. Shrimp, chicken, sausage would all work beautifully.

Tear the kale into small pieces and massage with oil, salt, and pepper. Shuck the corn and season with chili powder, slice the red onion, and blend together pizza sauce with chipotle.

Now comes the fun part, making the pizza. I refrain from using a rolling pin to roll out the dough because I don’t want to deflate any of the air bubbles. Instead, I use my hands to gently flatten and stretch the dough into a 12-inch circle. Press the dough from the center out, making the center thinner and the edges slighter thicker for the crust. Top the pizza with the prepared toppings and bake for 7-8 or until the cheese is bubbling.

Finish the spicy chipotle Mexican pizza with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, lime zest, and cotija. I absolutely loved this pizza. It combines everything good in life: corn, spices, cheese, and bread. And since it’s vegetarian, it’s kind of healthy, right?

Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.