Heat up that Pizza Stone, dust off your kitchen aid mixer or roll up your sleeves to put in a quick workout kneading this artisan pizza dough to perfection by hand. Brought to you straight from Italy, If you are after thin crust, authentic pizza pies like they make in Napoli – this is your lucky day!
Is Pizza Dough Vegan ?
Yes it is, as long as you don’t add any animal products into the mix and keep your toppings all plant based (including the cheeses) you are good to go!
Toppings:
A thin layer of homemade marinara sauce, some vegan mozzarella (from scratch or store bought), provolone or gouda cheese, sliced heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil or arugula is more than enough when it comes to toppings. If I’m feeling extra hungry i will quickly sautee or grill a mix of colorful bell peppers, mushrooms, scallions and asparagus and pile them all on top. Perfection if I say so myself!
How Do I Make Perfect Dough?
The hotter the stone, the crispier the pizza crust!
What we love about this Italian pizza dough:
FAQ: what is the best flour for making homemade vegan pizza dough?
A: Believe it or not, no fancy flour is required. An organic all-purpose flour is the best choice here and the one I use to make my crusty bread as well. If you happen to have bread flour sitting in your pantry by all means use it!
the vegan mozzarella
I included an easy recipe for cashew mozzarella from scratch. However feel free to use your favorite store bought plant based cheese here and save some time if you’d like.
P.S. As always, If you make this recipe please come back here to rate it, snap a photo and tag us with #VeggieSociety on Instagram
watch how to make the best vegan pizza dough:
Best Vegan Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups organic all-purpose flour (or bread flour) + more as needed
- 2.25 cups cold water (ice cold is best)
- 1.5 tsp active dry yeast
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 tbsp tapioca
- 1 tbsp agar agar
- 1/3 cup deodorized coconut oil (or extra light olive oil) (melted)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Pizza Dough Mixer Method:
- Add the flour, yeast and salt to the large bowl of a mixer and combine well.
- Start adding in the cold water and keep mixing using the paddle attachment until everything is combined well.
- Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium - low speed for 10 minutes until a smooth dough has formed. It should stick a little to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides. Sprinkle a bit more flour if it seems too sticky. (Sometimes you will need more flour sometimes less, just learn to feel it as you go).
- Sprinkle some flour on a kitchen counter or cutting board and dump the dough on top. Use a sharp knife and cut it into 6 or 8 pieces.
- Lightly oil your hands with a drop of olive oil and shape each piece into round balls. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet at least 4 inches apart from each other. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours at room temperature. ( Alternatively you can individually wrap each one and refrigerate or freeze for later.)
- Meanwhile preheat a pizza stone with your oven for at least one hour at 500”F or as high as your oven will go.
- Sprinkle some flour on a board or the kitchen counter and place a piece of dough on top. Sprinkle some more flour on top and using the palm of your hand press down on it until a thin round forms, about 1/2 inch thick. Stretch it out as thin as possible without tearing it and transfer it to a floured pizza peel or a piece of cardboard.
- Spoon a couple of tablespoons of sauce in the middle and spread it evenly with the back of the spoon leaving about 1/2 inch border. Add your favorite vegan cheese on top and transfer the pie carefully to the preheated stone in the oven. ( Remember to also sprinkle some flour or cornmeal on top of the pizza stone before transferring your pizza).
- Bake for 5 to 8 minutes to your liking.
Pizza Dough By Hand:
- Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon and stir in the flour until a dough forms. Add more flour If the dough still sticks to the sides, remember you want it to be a bit sticky on the bottom.
- Dump it onto a floured work surface and use the palm of your hand to knead it for a good 15 minutes or so until smooth and just a little sticky.
- Follow the above steps to bake accordingly.
Vegan Cashew Mozzarella:
- Cover the cashews with boiling hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to a powerful blender together with 1.5 cups water and the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the cheese mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes while whisking continuously just until thickened.
- Pour the cheese into lightly oiled ramekins and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or until completely chilled and set.
Notes
- You can use the included homemade vegan mozzarella cheese recipe on this pizza or a store bought one. My favorites are the cultured mozzarella from Miyoko's, provolone and smoked gouda from Follow Your Heart or Violife.
- If you don't have a pizza stone i strongly recommend that you use a cast iron skillet to bake your pizza on. Follow the same instructions and preheat it with the oven for the crispiest crust.
Nutrition
Italian Pasta Salad
Crusty Bread
Vegan Ricotta Spinach Lasagna
No kidding the best dough ever, I’m done searching for the perfect pizza crust. Now I always have it handy in the freezer ready to go. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
It was perfect! Completely the perfect crispy all the way through. I put so many veggies and spread the crust out so thin; planned on a soggy mess. This was amazing! Made completely to recipe.
Wowza, you go girl! I am so happy for your pizza night success! Now I have major cravings haha! ~ Florentina Xo’s
Hi
I was wondering what brand of yeast you use?
Hi Rachel, I’ve been using the Red Star brand I linked in the recipe and always had success with it. There is a new organic brand called Bioreal I’m looking forward to experimenting with and i’ll report back in the recipe notes about that one as well 🙂
Would you have a mozzarella cheese preference for the pizza? Thx bunches
Hi Ronda, I’m a fan of the Follow Your Heart cheeses specifically their smoked gouda, provolone and pepper jack slices. I love using the smoked gouda and provolone here. Best thing is for you to try different brands and experiment until you find your favorite!
have you tried whole wheat flour?
Not on this recipe, but will test it out with organic whole wheat pastry flour asap. I’ll update the recipe notes once I do! ~ Florentina
Since going Vegan over a month ago pizza is the one thing I really miss & crave!!! I don’t have a pizza stone an tips for possibly using a cookie sheet???
Hi Maria, If a pizza stone is not available follow the same process using a large cast iron skillet. A regular cookie sheet is not going to help with the crispy crust but it will still work in a pinch 🙂
I tried the pizza it was fantastic could you send me information on a suggestion for a good cookbook . Possibly ? I am doing forks over knives however incorporate vegan as well
So glad you loved the pizza Deronda! Cookbooks: yes to the Forks Over Knives cookbooks and how about ” How Not to Die” ?! Of course us here at the VeggieSociety are always open and a free resource 🙂
Thank you for the recipe!! I used whole wheat flour and it turned out great!!!! I think it works well with the kind Arthur brand and taste great when the crust is really thin! Thank you for sharing the recipe and i will save this to my collection!!
would you have a mozzarella cheese recipe for the pizza? luv your recipes!! Always looking for great cheese recipes!
Hey Ronda, I have yet to post the vegan mozzarella from scratch. I personally love the Follow Your Heart brand, they have coconut based cheese that is really nice!
I had to come back to say this recipe absolutely rocks! I couldn’t believe I had made that pizza myself using a regular home oven, the crust was actually as good as some of the pizzas I has in Italy. Thank you so much!
Woohoo, thank you for coming back to report, I’m so happy it was a success for you. It is most definitely my most favorite crust ever. Little secret: you can even bake it as a crusty bread loaf, just type crusty bread in the search bar if you want the specific directions 😉
Can you mix by hand if you don’t have mixer?
Yes you can mix everything by hand, knead it for a good 15 minutes!
I have a pizza pan with holes not a pizza stone. And a pizza pan with no holes. Which would you recommend and should I let hrsr it in the oven too
Hi Jennie, those pans are for serving the pizza, very different than a pizza stone. Use an upside down cast iron skillet instead, it would act like a pizza stone due to having the same capability to retain even heat for a long time. Follow the same instructions as for the stone.
How long can you keep this refrigerated? Also, if I want to freeze for later, do I freeze in a ball before rising (and rise after thawing? Or rise and form first?
You can refrigerate for about 3 days. If freezing then you can freeze right away and let it rise after thawing.
Any suggestions on what to bake it on if you do not have a stone or a cast iron skillet? Will a baking pan work?
Use a heavy baking sheet if you have it!