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Zucchini Pizza in the Oven
Instructions
I prepare the ingredients for zucchini pizza in the oven. Both young and mature zucchini work — peel mature ones first (the skin becomes tough and bitter when older). Sour cream of any fat content (10-25%) works equivalently. Hot dog substitutes: ham slices, cooked smoked sausage, pre-fried minced meat (raw mince won't cook through in the time available). Hard cheese: any meltable variety — Gouda, Edam, Cheddar, Russian cheese.
Pizza preparation moves quickly — preheat oven to 200 °C now. Grate zucchini coarsely (young zucchini = with skin; mature = peeled first). Salt the grated zucchini and let it sit while preparing other ingredients. Released zucchini juice STAYS — don't squeeze it out. The moisture combines with flour + eggs as essential binding liquid for the "dough".
Cut tomatoes — small ones into rings, large ones into wedges. Tomato juice is fine; just don't overload the pizza top.
Slice hot dogs into 5-6 mm rounds. The thickness matters — thinner pieces cook through and brown nicely; thicker pieces stay raw inside.
Chop the herbs (parsley, dill) finely. The fine chop releases more aromatic oils into the dough.
Grate cheese coarsely (large holes on box grater). Coarse-grated cheese melts into beautiful golden cohesive layer; fine-grated cheese melts into greasy uniform film.
In a separate bowl, mix flour with baking powder. Pre-mixing the leavening ensures even distribution through the dough.
Return to the salted zucchini (now juicy from sitting). Add eggs to the zucchini bowl.
Add sour cream and chopped herbs.
Sift the flour-baking-powder mixture into the bowl. Sifting prevents clumping and produces lighter dough.
Combine into a single uniform mass — no dry flour pockets, no unincorporated zucchini areas. The dough should be THICK (similar to thick fritter batter). If watery zucchini causes spreading, add 1-2 tbsp extra flour.
Squeeze the garlic cloves through a press into the dough. Mix once more to distribute the garlic uniformly.
Prepare the baking form. A detachable spring-form ring (28 cm) is ideal for clean release. Wrap the bottom in foil (catches any leaks), secure baking paper inside the ring, and grease the inner sides with vegetable oil.
Fill the form with zucchini dough. Smooth into an even layer with a spatula.
Spread tomato slices over the dough surface in a single layer.
Fill empty spaces between tomatoes with hot dog slices. Distribute evenly for balanced topping coverage.
Sprinkle grated cheese over the entire top. Place the form on the middle oven rack.
After 35 minutes, the zucchini dough turns golden at the edges and the top is covered in golden bubbling cheese — the zucchini pizza is done. Remove from oven.The pizza has a delicate tender texture — let it rest 5-10 minutes in the form before unmoulding. This allows the structure to set, preventing collapse during transfer to a plate. Fresh basil leaves decorate beautifully and add aromatic freshness. The pizza tastes excellent both hot (just out of the oven) and cold (refrigerated, ideal for hot summer days when oven cuisine isn't appealing).Give it a try, bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
THE DON'T-SQUEEZE INSTRUCTION IS COUNTERINTUITIVE. Step 2 explicitly says NOT to squeeze the salted zucchini — this contradicts most zucchini-pancake recipes where squeezing is essential. The reason: this recipe uses zucchini juice as the binding liquid (replacing milk/water that would otherwise be added). The salt-released juice combines with eggs + flour to create proper batter consistency. Squeezing would leave the dough too dry, requiring water addition that dilutes flavour. Trust the no-squeeze instruction; the math works.
- 2
THE COARSE-GRATE CHEESE IS MELT SCIENCE. Step 6's coarse-grated cheese (large grater holes) melts into beautiful cohesive golden bubbling layer with intentional uneven texture. Fine-grated cheese melts into a uniform thin layer that often becomes greasy — fat separates from protein due to high surface area. The coarse grate keeps the cheese pieces structurally distinct during melt, producing the visually appealing pizza-cheese look. Same principle applies to all cheese-melting applications. For another zucchini main-dish format worth comparing, see Zucchini Boats with Mince in the Oven.
- 3
THE 5-MINUTE REST PRESERVES STRUCTURE. The post-oven rest in the form (mentioned at step 18 follow-up) is essential because the zucchini-dough structure is tender and continues to set during cooling. Cutting and serving immediately produces collapsed pizza pieces; rested pizza holds its shape beautifully when sliced. The 5-10 minutes also lets the cheese cool slightly so it doesn't string excessively when sliced. Patience here = much better presentation and easier eating.
- 4
THE COLD-SERVING OPTION IS A SUMMER ASSET. Most pizza is at its worst cold; this zucchini pizza actually shines as a cold appetiser. The flavour notes (garlic, herbs, tomato, cheese) develop and integrate better after refrigeration. The texture, surprisingly, gains structural integrity when cold. Perfect summer use: bake the pizza the night before, refrigerate, slice and serve cold from the fridge as a hot-day appetiser or picnic dish. For another vegetable-centred main-dish option worth trying, try Stuffed Zucchini with Minced Meat Baked in the Oven.
FAQ
Is this gluten-free? +
Not as written — the recipe uses 110 g all-purpose flour. To make it gluten-free, substitute with: 110 g rice flour + 1 extra egg (rice flour binds less effectively than wheat), or 80 g almond flour + 30 g cornstarch (richer texture, slightly different flavour), or 100 g certified gluten-free oat flour (closest to original texture). All substitutes work but produce slightly different texture from wheat-flour version. The recipe is naturally lower-gluten than traditional pizza (only 110 g flour for a whole pizza vs 300+ g for traditional crust). For mild gluten-sensitivity it's already friendlier than regular pizza.
What other toppings work? +
Most pizza-style toppings work, with adjustments. Best alternatives: bell pepper strips (add at step 16, with hot dogs), olives (sliced, scattered on top before cheese), mushrooms (pre-sautéed, otherwise water-out during baking and make pizza soggy), bacon (pre-cooked crispy crumbles), pre-cooked chicken pieces, sun-dried tomatoes (in addition to fresh tomatoes), fresh basil (added AFTER baking, raw), or chili flakes for heat. Avoid: raw chicken or beef (won't cook through in the time), pineapple (adds too much liquid), unfried minced meat (raw flavour, undercooked texture). Stick to pre-cooked or quick-cooking ingredients.
Can I make it in advance? +
Yes — the pizza is one of the few baked dishes that genuinely improves with overnight rest. Make-ahead strategy: bake the day before, cool completely, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap. The next day, serve cold (best texture for hot weather), or warm slightly in 150 °C oven for 10 minutes if hot service preferred. Don't microwave — produces rubbery texture. The dough components freeze poorly (zucchini turns watery on thaw); the assembled cooked pizza freezes acceptably (3-month freezer life) but with some texture loss. For best quality: 24-hour-ahead refrigerated storage is optimal.
Why does my dough spread instead of holding shape? +
Two common causes. First: zucchini was extra-watery (some varieties or older zucchini have higher water content) — the released juice exceeded the binding capacity of the flour. Solution: add 2-3 tbsp additional flour at step 11 until the dough is properly thick. Second: too little salt at step 2 means insufficient juice release, producing under-bound dry dough with separate juice pockets. Solution: ensure the full 0.5 tsp salt is added and the zucchini sits at least 5-10 minutes before continuing. The dough should be thick enough to hold a spoon shape briefly when scooped.
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