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Make easy vegan pizza dough at home with just 6 basic pantry ingredients in under an hour – by hand or in a stand mixer. Perfect for pizza night AND it’s make-ahead and freezer-friendly!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
While picking up a store-bought vegan pizza or ordering takeout is convenient, nothing quite beats the satisfaction of making homemade pizza dough from scratch, loading it with your favorite toppings (like our vegan BBQ pizza or Thai pizza), and baking it to a perfectly crisp and chewy finish – ideal for pizza night, date night, or a fun family activity.
This easy vegan pizza dough recipe requires just a few budget-friendly, basic ingredients (naturally vegan) and is ready quickly with minimal rising time thanks to instant or rapid-rise yeast. It’s also simple enough for beginners and practically foolproof. Once prepared, use the dough immediately or freeze it for later.
The Ingredients Notes
Refer to the vegan pizza dough recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
You’ll also need your favorite vegan pizza sauce/marinara, vegan cheese, and toppings. For all my top ideas, check out my vegan calzone recipe.
How to Make Pizza Dough
Prepare The Easy Vegan pizza dough:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425F/220C (if you plan to make the pizzas immediately). Optionally, preheat a pizza stone/baking pan in the oven for the best crust. Then, combine 1 cup of flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 2: Then, add the warm water and oil and mix well (about a minute). Gradually add more of the remaining flour, a tablespoon or two at a time, until it forms a soft, slightly tacky dough you can form in a ball.
Step 3: Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes), then set aside in a covered bowl for 10 minutes to rest (if using instant/active dry yeast, leave it to rise for up to an hour, or until doubled in size).
To knead the dough, using the heels of your hands, push the dough away from you in a rolling motion, pulling it back up and towards you. Repeat to ‘fold and push’ until smooth.
Make the Pizza:
Step 4: Using floured hands, stretch the dough to fill a lightly greased pizza pan/baking sheet OR shape on the counter into a 12-inch circle (regular crust) or 9-inch deep-pan.
Step 5: Top the dough with your choice of pizza sauce (not too much!) and toppings. Then, bake (on the pre-heated pan/stone if using) on the lowest rack for 12-15 minutes (20-23 for the deep pan) until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese is bubbly.
FAQs
Basic pizza dough, made with flour, yeast, and salt, is naturally vegan. However, there are recipes and sore-bought versions that contain dairy.
Yes, but use an extra 25% and it will require an extra step to activate it by combining the yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl for 10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
Then, mix the dough and leave it to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (30-60 minutes).
Absolutely, the stand mixer can mix and knead the fresh pizza dough over a low/slow setting until soft, smooth, and elastic in about 3-5 minutes.
It should be smooth and supple, with no lumps or stickiness, hold its shape well, and stretch well until you can see through it, without tearing (aka the ‘windowpane test’).
Stretch the dough by hand, pressing with your fingers from the center outwards (leaving a slightly thicker crust if wanted), working in circles, turning it as you go. Using a rolling pin works but removes natural bubbles and becomes dense.
If it’s tearing while shaping, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Knead properly: Ensure the dough is smooth & elastic for a perfectly chewy crust.
- For better flavor/texture: Let the dough do a slow rise in the fridge for 24-48 hours (using instant/active dry yeast), then knock it down, shape, and bake.
- To add flavor: Boost this basic dough for pizza with herbs/spices like onion and garlic powder, dried oregano/Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, etc.
- Adjust thickness: Use it to make thick, regular, or thin-crust pizza dough and adjust baking time accordingly.
- Use a pizza stone: Or place an inverted oven tray/cast-iron pan in the oven while it preheats and bake the vegan pizza on it. This helps achieve a super crispy base.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
After making the vegan pizza dough, store it in a lightly oiled bowl wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. During this time, the dough will do a slow rise and ferment (for a deeper, more complex flavor).
To use it, bring it back to room temperature for an hour (at least), punch the dough, then shape it, top it, and bake it as usual.
Once baked, store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Note rapid-rise yeast is only suitable for short proofing times and same-day baking. To store it for longer or do a long refrigerated proofing, use active dry yeast/instant yeast.
Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?
Freezing pizza dough works well up to 3 months before losing stretchiness, strength, and flavor. To freeze the dough:
- Freeze the prepared yeast pizza dough wrapped in plastic wrap, then a Ziplock (squeeze out excess air), or in a lightly oiled airtight container.
- Follow the above method, but leave this easy homemade pizza dough to ‘cold ferment’ in the refrigerator for 24 hours first for a softer crust, bigger air pockets, and deeper flavor (only if using Instant/Active dry yeast, not rapid-rise/fast-acting).
How To Defrost Pizza Dough?
Thaw in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours), bring to room temp for an hour, then shape and bake.
Alternatively, thaw at room temperature for 4-6 hours or by plunging the Ziplock in barely lukewarm water for 2-3 hours, then place the dough in a dry bowl for 30-45 minutes.
Easy Vegan Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1-¾ to 2-¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 envelope of rapid rise yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons of granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon of salt
- ⅔ cup of very warm water (120°-130ºF)
- 3 tablespoons of corn or vegetable oil
- Pizza sauce
- Your favorite pizza fixings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Combine 1 cup of flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. The dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Let dough rest at this point for 10 minutes.
- Pat dough with floured hands to fill a greased pizza pan or baking sheet. OR roll dough on a floured counter to a 12-inch circle; place in a greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Form a rim by pinching the edge of the dough.
- Spread with pizza sauce and top with desired toppings.
- Bake on the lowest oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegan cheese (if using) is bubbly and the crust is lightly browned.
Notes
- Knead properly: Ensure the dough is smooth & elastic for a perfectly chewy crust.
- For better flavor/texture: Let the dough do a slow rise in the fridge for 24-48 hours (using instant/active dry yeast), then knock it down, shape, and bake.
- To add flavor: Boost this basic dough for pizza with herbs/spices like onion and garlic powder, dried oregano/Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, etc.
- Adjust thickness: Use it to make thick, regular, or thin-crust pizza dough and adjust baking time accordingly.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Love how easy this dough is to whip up!