Before you begin, start by preparing your vegan mozzarella cheese. (You will only need about half this recipe for the pizza, but feel free to make the whole batch and refrigerate the leftovers for up to 5 days.) Once the cheese is ready, set aside to let it slightly cool.
Grease a 14" round pizza tray with vegan margarine and preheat your oven to 450 degrees F convection bake.
Sprinkle a clean, dry surface and your rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking. Place your ball of dough over your floured surface and stretch the dough into a large disc shape to fit your tray. Start by using your hands, and then use your rolling pin to reach desired thinness. Carefully transfer the dough to your prepared tray and gently stretch it to the edges of the tray, using greased hands.
Drizzle the olive oil over the dough and then using a silicone brush (or a spoon), evenly spread the oil over the crust.
Now using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop your vegan mozzarella onto your pizza dough. Smaller scoops, with more dough coverage work best. Then add the halved tomatoes to the pizza and sprinkle all over with the salt, oregano and garlic powder.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and desired doneness is reached. Remove from the oven and scatter the basil leaves on top. Then slice and serve as is, OR return the pizza to the oven for 30-45 seconds, just enough to wilt your basil slightly and release its aroma.
Notes
To stretch the dough, make sure to generously flour your clean counter or other surface to prevent sticking. Flour the rolling pin as well to stretch the dough thinly, with ease.To decrease fat and calories further, use parchment paper on your pizza tray, rather then greasing it. The crust will be slightly less crispy, but still delicious.If you're avoiding oil, try my basic oil free pesto recipe for the base instead.The pizza crust will stretch thin if using a 14" pan (which is just how I like it), but if you prefer a slightly thicker crust, use a 10" round or 12" round pizza tray instead. Increase cooking time by about 2-4 minutes to make up the difference, or until desired "doneness" is reached.Vegan Mozzarella Tips:
If you don't have a powerful blender, make sure to soak the cashews first. You may soak overnight in cool water, or soak in boiling hot water for 30 minutes or longer and then drain.
Use a smaller blender if possible, to assist in a smoother consistency. Or, once you blend your ingredients, strain through a nut milk bag for a perfectly smooth cheese.
It also helps to add only half of the called for water to begin blending your ingredients into a paste. Once blended, add the remaining water.