Vegan Pizza Dough
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 cheese) you are good to go!
About the Toppings
A thin layer of homemade marinara sauce, some vegan mozzarella (from scratch or store bought), plant based 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:
What is the best flour for making homemade pizza dough?
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 all you happen to have sitting in your pantry is bread flour by all means use it, but definitely do not go out of your way for 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.
favorite recipes to try:
- White Pizza
- Potato Flatbread
- Italian Dinner Rolls
- Potato Pizza
- Focaccia Bread
- Dairy Free Mozzarella
- Heirloom Tomato Tart.
how to make the best vegan pizza dough
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
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
- 2 cups cashew milk
- 1/3 cup firm tofu
- 3 Tbsp tapioca
- 1 Tbsp agar agar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (or extra light olive oil)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp 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 then add the water. Use a wooden spoon and stir 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:
- To the bowl of a powerful blender add the cashew milk, tofu, coconut oil, tapioca, agar powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and sea salt. 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 until nicely thickened.
- Pour the cheese into lightly oiled ramekins and cover with plastic wrap. Alternatively you can use large and round silicone ice cube trays or a small glass container with a lid. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or until completely chilled and set. Use on your pizza!
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
Environmental Information
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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!
Hi can I get this delicious recipe printed. Please and thank you so kindly. Tina
Inside the recipe card under the thumbnail image there’s a PRINT button. Click on that and it should work 🙂
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!
Hello, thank you for the recipe, can’t wait to try it. Can I substitute active dry yeast with fast acting yeast? If so, does the measurements also change? Thank you in advance
I use instant yeast and active dry yeast interchangeably in this recipe and they both work great!
How many personal sized pizzas do you think this makes? Making for my family and we all like different toppings… Also, where did the crust in the picture come from? I didn’t see any instructions about forming a crust.
I like to make 6-8 small pizza pies out of this dough. I’m afraid I don’t understand your other question ” where did the crust in the picture come from ? ” A: I baked this pizza in my oven on the pizza stone so that’s where it came from after I put it in there to bake it… haha maybe I need more coffee today!
Sorry! I guess I meant did you fold the dough over to make a crust that was puffier than the dough with ingredients on it. Or does it rise more by itself because there are no ingredients on the edge? Also, I have some whole wheat bread flour and was thinking of using it for this. Would that be okay? Is mixing bread flour and all purpose a bad idea (my mother’s idea actually, lol) Thank you for your help!
Yes it puffs up more where there are no toppings. Also this is a thin crust so overall still very thin. You could mix the flours but it will be a heavier crust if you don’t mind it.
I’ve been trying pizza dough recipes for a really long time (years..) and I came across this one hoping it was it – Wow! It’s a fantastic recipe with a crispy yet chewy crust. No overnight or extra long proofing for flavour and dead simple with cold water! Did it on the BBQ with a stone and was just like a wood fire pizza. Thank you for sharing this recipe!! My search has ended and now I’m so excited for our weekend pizza nights! Thank you again! ❤️
Hi
How long does the dough take to thaw normally? Its been over an hour and the dough is still solid.
It depends on the temperature in your house, less than 2 hours for us here in the tropics. I suppose you divided the dough and made individual dough balls and not freeze the entire batch in one big ball.
Excellent dough! After many years of bread making, this is a great dough! I would use more salt next time though, as it wasn’t savory enough for pizza crust- but the texture of the dough was incredible! Thanks!
Have you tried it with gluten free flour? I have Bob’s Redmill 1:1 gluten free flour and want to try it out.
Sorry, I have not tried it gluten free.
can we use 00 flour for plant based pizza crust?
You could but all purpose flour is all you need.