Tomato Basil Pizza

Pizza, oh pizza.  One of the joys in life, but one that is usually out of bounds on a low sodium diet.  But it turns out that you can make some really great pizzas, and this simple combination is one of our favorites. 

We have tried pizzas with our own low sodium sausage, ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and even potatoes! We have used fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, and swiss.  We’ve tried no sauce, red sauce, and garlic-infused olive oil. We have drizzled truffle oil on top, sprinkled oregano, and topped it with crushed red pepper.  We have had some successes (potato, fresh thyme, goat cheese, and truffle oil – yum).  And we’ve had some failures (we aren’t crazy about the sausage because it seems too much like an imitation of the salty stuff; fresh mozz can also be hard to work with since it retains so much liquid).   This basic combination of tomatoes, fresh basil, and swiss is really satisfying and, as it turns out, is very low sodium.

As you might imagine, any premade pizza crust is probably high in sodium.  So to make this low sodium-friendly, we will make our own crust.   When I make homemade yeast doughs, I nearly always proof the yeast.  It is a quick way to find out whether your yeast is still active (plus I am always captivated by watching it “explode” and puff up in the water).  I start with yeast, sugar, and very warm water (110°F to 115°F – and yes, I actually measure the temp with a thermometer to make sure that it’s right).

Let this mixture rest for about 8-10 minutes or until it is foamy.

Then you will add the oil and begin to whisk in the flour a little at a time.  When the dough is thick enough to be handled, dump the whisk and start kneading the flour in by hand.  Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  If you don’t like kneading dough (who doesn’t?? *insert sarcasm*), you have two alternate options here:

Alternate 1: Add the ingredients to a bread machine according to manufacturer’s directions.  Run it on the dough cycle, and once it is done, remove it to let it rise in a warm place.

Alternate 2: Using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix in about half the flour to the proofed yeast mixture.  Once the mixture becomes thick, switch to the dough hook and continue to add flour.  Knead the dough using the dough hook for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Let the dough rise until double (an hour ish).

I have a super secret hint here, for those of you who keep their homes cool or live in a cool climates (like me!).  With all my yeast doughs, I let them rise in the oven with the door closed and the oven light on.  Of course make sure the oven is off (I stick a note on my oven controls reminding myself and my family to leave the oven off).  The light creates a really warm environment where the dough will rise beautifully.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and separate into two balls.  Let rest while you prep the other ingredients.

The sauce here is really simple. If you have one you like better, go ahead and use it.  I usually toss in whatever I think will taste good as I go.  I do like the addition of fennel because it reminds me of Italian sausage, so if you have never tried it, you should!

You can use a pizza stone like I did, or any old baking sheet if you don’t have a stone.  I have made this both ways and it turns out fine with a baking sheet.

You know how to make a pizza from here. You just top it and bake it.   And then you eat it. And let it deposit some pizza joy back into your low sodium life.

Tomato Basil Pizza

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

Classic and simple pizza flavors baked into a low sodium crust.

SODIUM COUNT: 98.9 mg per serving (two slices); 791.1 mg in the entire recipe

Makes 2 pizzas.

• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Sauce:

• 1 cup unsalted tomato sauce ((I used Pomi))
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon fennel seed

Crust:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons quick rise yeast ((1 packet))
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water ((110°F to 115°F))
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3–4 cups all-purpose flour
• Olive oil ((for stretching the dough))

Toppings:

• 4 small tomatoes ((sliced))
• 12 ounces swiss cheese ((finely shredded))
• 2/3 cup basil ((sliced into ribbons))

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Sauce:

1. Stir together all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Crust:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast, brown sugar, and water. Set aside for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy.
2. Whisk in the olive oil.
3. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once you have added enough flour to knead the dough (about 2 ½ cups), place the dough on a floured surface and continue to work in the remaining flour. Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. (You can also use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.)
4. Place the dough into a bowl coated with cooking spray and set aside in a warm place covered with a light towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 425°If you are using a baking stone, prepare it by preheating it with the oven. If you are using a baking sheet, prepare it by spraying it with cooking spray.
6. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide into two equal balls. Set them aside on an oiled surface for about 3-5 minutes.
7. Take one of the dough balls and stretch it (I splash on a little olive oil to help make the dough a little easier to work with). Place the stretched dough on the prepared baking sheet (or stone).
8. Repeat with the remaining ball of dough. (Note that I usually let the second ball rest while the first pizza is baking, and then repeat the previous step when the first pizza is nearly finished baking.)

Assembly:

1. Top one of the prepared crusts with half the sauce, 6 ounces of the swiss cheese, and half of the sliced tomatoes. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second crust.
2. When the pizza is finished baking, remove from the oven and top with the basil. Slice the pizza into 8 equal slices and serve.

Notes

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Yield: 8 servings, two slices each
Sodium: 98.9 mg, Calories: 423.4 Total Fat: 17.0 g, Saturated Fat: 8.7 g, Cholesterol: 33.6 mg, Carbohydrates: 44.9 g, Fiber: 2.6 g, Sugar: 1.8 g, Protein: 18.2 g.