Best Basic Homemade Vegan Pizza Crust
+ Recipes for 2 Homemade Sauces & Easy Vegan Parmesan
This pizza dough is the best we have made (and we have made A LOT of pizzas since starting our vegan journey). It is quick and easy and the perfect texture. It doesn't get soggy when you bake it with the toppings like some can and it turns our just fluffy enough for your favorite toddler!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
2 Tbs organic olive oil + as needed for brushing the baking sheets, the dough, and the crust
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose organic flour (or bread flour for a slightly fluffier dough)
1 Tbs raw or unrefined organic sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium or large mixing bowl mix the yeast and the water until the yeast is disolved. Allow to rest about 10 minutes. The water should not be too hot or the yeast will die and the dough won't rise.
Add the sugar, oil and salt into the mixture.
Add the flour a cup at a time while mixing it with a large wooden spoon until it gets too thick to mix this way; then you can get your hands in the dough and start kneading by hand. (If you have a kitchen aid type appliance you can use it to do this mixing for you). Do not mix all the flour in; just enough to get a good dough ball with a slightly elastic (but not dry) texture. You will likely end up with about 1/4-1/2 cup of flour left over which you can use for the surface you will use for rolling. If kneading by hand, empty the dough with a spreadable amount of its unmixed flour onto a surface where you can begin rolling it out.
If splitting the dough: split the dough into 2, 3, or 4 balls depending on the size of the pizza you would like to make. (We typically split it into two and then cut one of the larger crusts into one smaller one and one larger one for mama bear and baby bear; the biggest crust being for papa bear)
Roll your dough out on the floured surface until you have a desired thickness. We typically roll it out to be about as thick as a thin-crust pizza. It will puff up as it rises. We do not worry about the shape of our pizza (it all tastes incredible), but you can roll it into a nice round shape if desired.
Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Grease the baking surfaces and place the crusts onto the surfaces. (This dough makes an EXCELLENT deep dish crust BTW). Place crusts on the surfaces and put into the warm oven.
Turn off the oven and allow the dough to rest in the warm oven while you chop and prep your toppings.
When you have prepped all your toppings you can take the dough out. It should have risen and become a bit fluffy.
Preheat your oven to 450 F. Add your sauce and toppings. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden brown.
ENJOY!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMEMADE SAUCES:
We like to experiment and make out own sauce which is very simple. It is simple and cheaper than purchasing pizza sauce--especially if you have a home herb garden and your own canned, crushed tomatoes! These will work with all store-bought item as well. Fresh herbs are amazing but dried herbs also work!
Try to experiment with:
RED PIZZA SAUCE:
1 cup of crushed tomatoes in tomato juice with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 fresh basil leaves, 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 fresh sage leaves, salt and pepper to taste--BLEND and enjoy. (OR)
GARLIC & OLIVE OIL SAUCE
For a tomato-free sauce you can add 1/2 cup olive oil, 2-3 cloves garlic, 3-4 sprigs of rosemary, 1 basil leaf and salt and pepper to taste- BLEND and enjoy.
VEGAN PARM:
Add 3/4 cup cashew pieces, 3-5 Tbs of nutritional yeast, 1 tsp olive oil. Blend until crumbly. This can be blended right after the Tomato-Free Sauce mentioned above with no additional olive oil and a little flavor boost from the herbs!
1 Tbs dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
2 Tbs organic olive oil + as needed for brushing the baking sheets, the dough, and the crust
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose organic flour (or bread flour for a slightly fluffier dough)
1 Tbs raw or unrefined organic sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium or large mixing bowl mix the yeast and the water until the yeast is disolved. Allow to rest about 10 minutes. The water should not be too hot or the yeast will die and the dough won't rise.
Add the sugar, oil and salt into the mixture.
Add the flour a cup at a time while mixing it with a large wooden spoon until it gets too thick to mix this way; then you can get your hands in the dough and start kneading by hand. (If you have a kitchen aid type appliance you can use it to do this mixing for you). Do not mix all the flour in; just enough to get a good dough ball with a slightly elastic (but not dry) texture. You will likely end up with about 1/4-1/2 cup of flour left over which you can use for the surface you will use for rolling. If kneading by hand, empty the dough with a spreadable amount of its unmixed flour onto a surface where you can begin rolling it out.
If splitting the dough: split the dough into 2, 3, or 4 balls depending on the size of the pizza you would like to make. (We typically split it into two and then cut one of the larger crusts into one smaller one and one larger one for mama bear and baby bear; the biggest crust being for papa bear)
Roll your dough out on the floured surface until you have a desired thickness. We typically roll it out to be about as thick as a thin-crust pizza. It will puff up as it rises. We do not worry about the shape of our pizza (it all tastes incredible), but you can roll it into a nice round shape if desired.
Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Grease the baking surfaces and place the crusts onto the surfaces. (This dough makes an EXCELLENT deep dish crust BTW). Place crusts on the surfaces and put into the warm oven.
Turn off the oven and allow the dough to rest in the warm oven while you chop and prep your toppings.
When you have prepped all your toppings you can take the dough out. It should have risen and become a bit fluffy.
Preheat your oven to 450 F. Add your sauce and toppings. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden brown.
ENJOY!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMEMADE SAUCES:
We like to experiment and make out own sauce which is very simple. It is simple and cheaper than purchasing pizza sauce--especially if you have a home herb garden and your own canned, crushed tomatoes! These will work with all store-bought item as well. Fresh herbs are amazing but dried herbs also work!
Try to experiment with:
RED PIZZA SAUCE:
1 cup of crushed tomatoes in tomato juice with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 fresh basil leaves, 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 fresh sage leaves, salt and pepper to taste--BLEND and enjoy. (OR)
GARLIC & OLIVE OIL SAUCE
For a tomato-free sauce you can add 1/2 cup olive oil, 2-3 cloves garlic, 3-4 sprigs of rosemary, 1 basil leaf and salt and pepper to taste- BLEND and enjoy.
VEGAN PARM:
Add 3/4 cup cashew pieces, 3-5 Tbs of nutritional yeast, 1 tsp olive oil. Blend until crumbly. This can be blended right after the Tomato-Free Sauce mentioned above with no additional olive oil and a little flavor boost from the herbs!
