This lightly seasoned vegan pizza dough has a perfectly chewy interior and crispy exterior. It's easy to make at home and so much better than ordering in! Makes one large 13-inch stuffed crust or thick crust pizza, or two 11 to 12-inch thin crust pizzas.
2teaspoonsolive oil - for oiling the proofing bowl
For seasoned pizza crust:
1 ½teaspoonsdried oregano
1 ½teaspoonsdried parsley
½teaspoondried basil
½teaspoongarlic powder
Instructions
Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl and stir. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
Tip: omit the herbs for pizzas that don't pair with Italian flavors (i.e. barbecue pizza). In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and dried herbs, if using. Make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast mixture. Slowly stir until a rough dough forms.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F, or as low as it will go. After a few minutes turn it off. Raising the temp slightly creates a nice warm and draft-free place for the dough to rise.
Move the dough to a floured work surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Form into a ball.
Add the olive oil to a large bowl and swirl it around. Place the dough ball in the bowl and flip around a few times, using your hands to spread olive oil over the entire surface of the dough. Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and make sure the oven is off. Place the bowl in the oven until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Move the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide in half. This will create two 12 to 13-inch pizzas. Alternatively, use the entire batch of dough to create a larger thick crust pizza or a stuffed crust pizza (you'll need the extra dough for folding the edges over the cheese).
Using the pads of your fingers, gradually move around the perimeter of the dough, pressing outward, increasing the dough in size. You can also pick up the dough and use your fists to gently stretch it into a larger circle.
Add your favorite sauce and toppings. See suggestions above.
Bake in a preheated 500 degree oven. Thin crust takes about 14 minutes on a preheated pizza stone or 13-14 minutes on a pizza pan. Thick crust takes about 18 minutes on a stone or 17 minutes on a pan.
Notes
*I highly recommend weighing the flour with a kitchen scale. Otherwise, be sure to whisk the flour before measuring with measuring cups. After whisking, lightly scoop up, then level off the excess.Make in AdvancePrepare the dough through step 4 (kneading), but instead of placing in a warm environment, place the dough in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours (make sure the bowl is tightly covered with plastic wrap. An overnight proofing actually improves the flavor! Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before shaping.To FreezePrepare the dough through step 5, allowing it to rise, then divide in half if desired. Place the balls of dough in freezer bags, squeeze out the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before shaping.