Great Homemade Vegan Pizza Dough (3 ingredients)

It's all about the crust and a great pizza begins with great dough.

We love pizza. Over the years, my husband - the bread baking pro in the family - has experimented endlessly perfecting his pizza dough. He was determined to capture just the right flavor and texture - crispy but not tough, soft and chewy but not too bready, stretchy but not too doughy, fluffy but not yeasty and not too thick or too flat.

He's tried almost every type of flour and yeast as well as a variety of methods - using a stand mixer & dough hook vs hand kneading, single rise vs double rise, pizza stones vs pizza pans. Yes, he's a perfectionist. What he found was (like many things in life) - simple is best. That certainly holds true for making a great vegan pizza crust from scratch.

Enjoy the best vegan Margherita pizza with our great homemade vegan pizza dough (3 ingredients) and marinara sauce topped with vegan mozzarella & fresh basil! See the recipe here.

🍕Why we love this recipe

• It's chewy & delicious
• Soft on the inside - crispy on the outside crust
• Not crumbly or cracker-like
• Only 3 basic ingredients + water
• No added sugar
• No oil
• It's fun to prepare

Ingredients matter.

Flour. You may have noticed, there are as many varieties of flour on store shelves as there are opinions about pizzas. Our flour of choice is organic unbleached all-purpose flour. We particularly like King Arthur Organic All Purpose Flour, but any brand should work well.

Salt. We use sea salt.

Yeast. Like flour, there are oodles of different types of yeast available, so it can be a bit confusing when you're new to making leavened dough. There are even yeast varieties made for pizza dough, but we don't prefer them. We use good ol' regular active dry yeast.

Last . . . but certainly not least . . .

Water. Since this recipe requires only 3 ingredients + water, each of those are equally important, including the water you use. Did you know that locals from New York City swear their tap water is a key ingredient in their beloved pizzas and bagels? In fact, NYC water is so famous, there are water filtration systems designed to replicate the taste of NYC tap water. Here in San Diego where I live, a local pizza shop ships in their water from the East coast just for their pizza dough. In this recipe you definitely don't need to go to that extent, but do make sure to use good tasting water. If you like the taste of the water from your faucet - go for it. If not, use filtered or bottled water you really like. That's what we do.

🥕See the printable recipe below for complete details

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups water - filtered or bottled
• 5 cups all-purpose flour - we prefer organic unbleached
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• ½ oz active dry yeast (two ¼ oz packets)

Instructions

Plan ahead. The first thing you should know is this pizza dough needs to refrigerate for several hours before using it. It's best to prepare it a day or more in advance. If you need pizza now - you can certainly use store-bought pizza dough. Just be sure to check labels for all vegan ingredients. Otherwise, keep reading!

Step 1 - Prepare the dough

• Combine salt & room temperature water in mixing bowl.
• Slowly add ¾ C flour (from the measured flour) & stir till smooth.
• Add yeast and mix thoroughly.

• Gradually add remaining flour using pastry scraper to combine fully. Turn dough and flour onto a cutting board or clean flat surface.
• Knead #1 - Press heel of hand into center of dough, then fold in half towards yourself. Rotate 90º and again press heel of hand into dough into center of dough and fold in half towards yourself. Repeat until dough becomes smooth and ingredients are well combined.

• Knead #2 - Roll dough into an elongated loaf, turn away from you and hold down the end nearest to you firmly on the cutting board. Grab the far end and pull away, stretching the dough as far as you can and fold in half toward yourself. It will not pull far at first. Roll again and stretch several times until the dough becomes very elastic.
• Roll dough into a ball and place in a large clean bowl. Cover with a clean damp cloth or plastic wrap. Place in a draft-free, warm room temperature area and allow to rise approx. 2 hours - until double in size.

Step 2 - Divide/Rest/Refrigerate

1. Uncover dough.
2. Place on cutting board lightly dusted with flour
3. Divide dough into 2 or 3 portions (depending on desired size of pizzas).
4. Separate sections of dough. Use kneading method #1 about 4 or 5 times and roll portions into balls.
5. Pinch the bottom of each ball between your forefingers and thumb and twist until ball becomes tight.
6. Turn balls upside down, with twist on the bottom. Cover with a clean damp cloth and let rest (proof) for 1-½ to 2 hrs at room temperature.
7. Wrap balls loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

Step 3 - Shape into pizza crusts

1. Remove from refrigerator ½ - 1 hour prior to using. When ready, unwrap and place on a clean cutting board lightly dusted with flour. Dough will be very soft and flexible.
2. Roll dough back into a ball.
3. Press down in the center and work out to about an inch from the edge.
4. Pinch and stretch gently, keeping the dough in a round shape working out toward the edge.
5. This is where the pizza pros start spinning the dough in the air to use centrifugal force to create a perfect disc. If you don't feel comfortable or competent to do that (like me) just continue gently stretching and tugging while alternately flipping or turning the dough over in your hands until it is about 12" in diameter. Be careful not to let the dough tear or get too thin.
6. Once dough is the size you want, it is ready for toppings!

Step 4 – Make & bake

• Preheat oven to 475°. If using a pizza stone, place on lower rack prior to heating.
• Once dough is the size and shape you prefer, it's ready for toppings. Place prepared pizza crust onto a metal pizza pan, baking sheet or pizza paddle or peel that has been lightly dusted with a sprinkle of cornmeal. Build your pizza as you like it. (See below for lots of pizza topping tips!)
• Place pizza (on pans) in oven on middle rack. If using a pizza stone, carefully slide pizza from paddle or peel onto hot stone on lower rack. Sometimes a quick jerk will make the pizza easily slide forward off the paddle.
• Bake at 475°. Check the pizza at 5 minutes. Depending on whether you use pans or a pizza stone as well as the thickness of your crust and the toppings you use, the bake time will vary. Allow to bake until crust begins to brown on edges and cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven, place on heat-safe cutting board, pan or rack and enjoy!

Equipment

• Large wood or rigid plastic cutting board (two are helpful)
• Large mixing bowl
• Pastry scraper or flat spatula
• Pizza paddle or peel
• Pizza cutter
• Pizza stone
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Plastic food wrap

Now that you know how to make great homemade vegan pizza dough (with 3 ingredients!) - the sky's the limit with the pizzas you can make. Here are a few suggestions for toppings:

If you are adding leafy greens like basil, spinach or arugula – add those to the pizza about a minute or two before it’s done baking.

When using marinara or other wet pizza sauce, we like to first spread a thin layer of soft vegan cheese (see our garlic cheese spread for Margherita pizza). It seals the crust and helps keep the sauce from making the pizza crust soggy.

• Vegan cheeses - any variety
• Marinara sauce
• Vegan pesto sauce
• Balsamic vinegar
• Spinach
• Fresh basil
• Arugula
• Artichoke hearts
• Fresh, sun-dried or roasted tomatoes
• Olives
• Mushrooms
• Bell peppers
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Pineapple - don't judge - we love it on pizza!
• Vegan sausage
• Dried pepper flakes
• Vegan parmesan

Vegan Pear & Arugula Pizza

A lightly sweet & savory pizza with sliced pears, fresh arugula, balsamic vinegar, vegan ricotta and cream cheeses.

Vegan "The Works" Pizza

"The Works" with marinara, vegan ricotta and chive cream cheese, artichoke hearts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil & homemade vegan parm and yes, we tossed on some pineapple!

Vegan Triple Cheese & Broccoli Pizza

Baked with broccoli, vegan ricotta, chive cream cheese and homemade parm.

🥕If you love pizza, here's some other delish dishes you'll enjoy!

• Vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Cheese
• Best Vegan Meatless Meatballs
• Best Homemade Vegan Margherita Pizza
• Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce
• Best Vegan Zucchini Ravioli