This delicious oil-free vegan pizza dough recipe needs just five simple ingredients. It can be made with whole wheat flour, different types of flour, or a mix for an easy homemade pizza crust ready for your favorite sauces and toppings of choice.
Get ready for pizza night with this tried-and-true pizza dough recipe. It's easy to make and just needs a warm place and time to rise. Over the past several months, I've made both whole wheat and strong wheat bread flour pizza crusts, plus a mix, and it's a confirmed family favorite.
I even created a special blender pizza cheese recipe and homemade pizza tomato sauce recipe because I am now a confirmed pizza maker.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Unlike other vegan recipes that call for olive oil or at least a brush to moisten the dough, I'm here to tell you that you can skip it and have great-tasting pizza from scratch every time.
- A freezer-friendly dough that can be made ahead as full-size or mini pizzas.
- Great with any toppings, including my signature vegan sausage crumbles, plant-based bacon, and baked hemp parmesan cheese.
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Flour. This recipe was intended for a whole-wheat pizza base, but it's been tested with strong wheat, bread flour, multi-grain flour, and a mix of flour.
Did you know? The higher the protein of the flour, the more gluten, and the more chewy the texture.
Yeast. I used instant yeast for this crust recipe, also known as rapid-rise, quick-rise, or fast-acting yeast. If you use active dry yeast, add it to the warm water so it 'activates' before adding it to the flour mixture.
Coconut sugar. The dough benefits from a little sugar. My preference is coconut or date sugar. You can also mix a teaspoon of maple syrup or date paste into the warm water.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
I've not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour. For the best gluten-free crust, I recommend making my quinoa pizza crust.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients - flour, yeast, salt, and sugar to a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Start adding water, stirring to moisten the flour. Cover and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Then use your hands to mix it and form a ball.
Step 3: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by pressing and rolling it for 10 minutes, forming a ball.
Step 4: Place the ball of dough to a lightly floured, clean mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it rise until it doubles (1 ½ hours).
Step 5: Roll the dough into a round pizza shape on lightly floured parchment paper that fits your pizza stone, pan, or baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake the pizza in the middle rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Slide the parchment paper from the bottom before topping and baking the pizza.
Pro Tips
- For best results, start with a warm bowl for making and rising the dough.
- Place the dough in a warm, draft-free place to rise. I often set the oven on very low heat, then turn it off and let the dough rise in the cozy, warm oven.
- Heat the pizza stone or pan before baking the pizza crust. Bake on high heat (450 F/230 C). I wasn't a believer until I tried it!
- Cut a piece of parchment paper that fits over the pizza stone. I cut a shape with extra around the edges to easily roll the paper from underneath the baked pizza crust without flipping it over.
Denise's Tip: If you are pre-baking crust to freeze, put it back in the oven for 3-5 minutes after removing the parchment paper to firm the bottom.
What does 'warm' water mean?
For yeast dough, warm water means 110 F (43C). A good rule of thumb is to use ¼ cup of hot water with ¾ cup of cool water.
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Serving Suggestions
Add any sauces and toppings you like to your homemade pizza crust. Consider creamy artichoke pesto if you don't want a tomato-based pizza sauce. Use a variety of traditional pizza veggies like onions, peppers, and mushrooms, but sun-dried tomatoes or black olives are great options.
Try vegan mozzarella cheese, a smattering of pickled jalapenos, or hemp seed bacon bits. You can also turn your pizza into Greek pizzas with hummus, veggies, and vinaigrette dressing.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Store baked pizza crust wrapped in plastic wrap or a large sealed bag for 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Individual slices of pizza can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the oven or air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Instant yeast or rapid rise is the best yeast for pizza because it doesn't need to be activated in liquid like active yeast. But honestly, as long as your yeast is in date and has been kept dry and away from heat sources, any type of baking yeast will work.
All-purpose flour can be used for pizza dough, and unlike whole wheat or bread flour, it makes a softer, less chewy crust due to less protein in all-purpose flour than whole wheat or bread flour.
Active dry yeast needs to be activated before adding it to dry ingredients. The best way is to mix it with warm water or whatever liquid you are using, plus any sweetener. Instant or fast-acting yeast can be combined with the dry ingredients before adding liquid. Active yeast is 'live' if small air bubbles form on the top of the water-yeast mixture.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Oil-Free Vegan Pizza Dough Recipe (5 Ingredients)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour - see notes
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast - see notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar - or date sugar
- 1 cup warm water - see notes
Instructions
- For best results, start with a warm bowl for mixing and rising the dough.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add the water and mix with a spoon until all the flour is covered. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Mix the dough with your hands until you can form a ball.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add more flour, if needed, until you have a smooth dough that can be stretched without easily tearing. Form a large bowl with the dough.
- Lightly flour a large bowl and add the dough ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Place the dough somewhere warm and draft-free. like a warmed oven or near a heater on low. Leave the dough rising for about 1 ½ hours until it nearly doubles.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Add the pizza stone or pan to heat.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the pizza stone or pan.
- Lightly flour the parchment paper and add the dough ball in the center. Roll the dough into a pizza shape, pinching the edges if desired.
- Remove the pizza stone from the oven and carefully transfer the pizza with the parchment paper to the stone. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 10 -12 minutes until the edges start to slightly brown.
- Remove the pizza crust and carefully peel the parchment paper from the bottom. Load the pizza with sauce and toppings and return the pizza to the oven to finish baking.
Video
Notes
- You can use a variety of flour for this recipe, including whole wheat, whole grain, strong wheat, bread flour, or a combination. Remember, the higher the protein, the higher the gluten, and the firmer and chewier the texture.
- Instant yeast or self-rising are the best yeast options. If using active dry yeast, mix it with the warm water to activate it before adding it to the dry ingredients.
- For yeast dough, warm water means 110 F (43C). A good rule of thumb is to use ¼ cup of hot water with ¾ cup of cool water.
- If you plan to store or freeze pre-baked pizza crust, bake it for 3-5 minutes after removing the parchment paper to firm the bottom.
- Wrap baked pizza crust in plastic wrap or a large sealed bag and store for 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Individual slices of pizza can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the oven or air fryer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Denise Perrault
Great basic recipe and I love you can use it with a variety of flours.