Truly the BEST homemade Vegan Garlic Herb Pizza Dough! This garlic pizza dough recipe is packed with flavor and is seriously SO easy to make. Plus, this vegan pizza base can be baked the same day or prepped in advance for a make-ahead dough you can easily store in the fridge or freezer.
This recipe stems from my super popular Vegan Pizza Rolls where I first made a version of this garlic herb pizza dough.
It's seriously SO fluffy, flavorful, and goes well with virtually any veggie pizza toppings. You really only need 8 simple ingredients to make pizza dough without any eggs, butter, milk, or complicated ingredients!
Ingredients:
- Dried Yeast
- Water (warmed)
- Olive Oil (can be subbed 1:1 with any liquid oil, but olive is strongly recommended for the best flavor)
- Salt
- All purpose-flour (can be subbed gram for gram with bread flour for crispier crust)
- Dried oregano
- Dried Basil
- Garlic Powder
Steps to make vegan pizza dough
True story: Until one year ago I had never made my own pizza dough.
This was partly because I thought making pizza dough at home had to be complicated and partly because I was madly and truly in love with Trader Joes Garlic & Herb pizza dough. After plenty of nights where I was craving pizza, but had no dough, I knew it was time to create my own copycat version of TJ's garlic herb pizza dough.
Not only is making vegan pizza dough at home more affordable than buying a pre-made dough, but it also happens to be WAY easier than I thought it would be.
First, add the yeast & warm water to a bowl
Dried yeast needs to be activated by warm water. It's really important to make sure this water is NOT boiling hot or it may kill the yeast. I actually microwave my water in a glass container for 20 seconds and then add the warmed water & yeast to the mixing bowl.
Then, stir and let sit for about 5 minutes to make sure the yeast is active and working. The yeast will get bubbly and the water will get cloudy if the yeast is active!
Next, add in the olive oil BEFORE the salt
Adding olive oil next helps to coat the yeast and prevent it from drying out from all the salt we add in.
Then, add the flour, salt & herbs
After that just add in the flour salt and herbs. I like to gradually add in the flour and mix as I go, but it's also okay to add it all at once. Then, mix together until a dough forms.
Knead the pizza dough
This is where the magic happens. Once the dough has formed, remove it from the bowl and knead on a well-floured surface. Add extra flour as needed and knead the dough until it is elastic.
The dough will still be semi-sticky when you are finished, but you'll see a noticeable difference in the dough texture and it will be easy to stretch the dough without it breaking. If the dough is still breaking when you stretch it, keep kneading!
P.S- this dough can also be made in a standing mixer. Once the dough forms, just attach the bread hook and knead until the dough is elastic.
Add to a well-oiled bowl & let rise until doubled in size
Now that the dough is kneaded, add it to a well-oiled bowl. I like to roll my dough around in the oil so it is well-coated and doesn't leave any surface to dry out.
Then cover the dough and let it rest until doubled in size.
This takes about 1-2 hours in a warm place or at room temperature. However, I prefer to add my pizza dough to the fridge and let it rise overnight anywhere from 6-48 hours. The longer you let your dough rise, the more complex the flavors will be. Again, this extra time is totally optional, so do what works best for you!
Punch the dough down & shape
Now, THIS is my favorite part. Punch that fluffy dough down with your fist and then remove it from the bowl to shape and bake.
How to shape pizza dough by hand
Okay, now you have that perfect vegan pizza dough- but what is truly the best way to shape and bake the dough?
Well, I'm here to tell you it is NOT with a rolling pin. Can you use a rolling pin with this recipe? Sure. However, it's not what I'm going to recommend.
The reason I don't recommend a rolling pin is that it removes all the air bubbles from the dough that create that super fluffy and crunchy crust you see in my pictures.
Instead, I recommend following the steps below:
- Draw an imaginary line about 1 fingers width all around the edge of the pizza. This is the "line" we don't want to cross as this will be our crust.
- Then, draw an imaginary line down the middle of the pizza. Use your fingers to dimple and stretch the pizza dough from the middle line towards the crust line. Then, flip the pizza and repeat on the other side. This action traps the air bubbles inside the dough and helps to keep the structure!
- Once you can fit your hands inside the dough, spread out the dough with your palms. You can do this by gently stretching the dough OR you can lift the dough into the air and spread it with fists like the professionals do!
- If any tears form in the dough, simply pinch the dough back together. The center of the dough should be thin, but not translucent.
I usually do this on a marble pastry board and then transfer the dough to my pre-heated pizza stone before baking.
P.S- I also want to mention it is TOTALLY okay if your pizza dough shape is wonky. It won't affect the flavor at all and adds more character.
After that, add the toppings to the vegan pizza base!
Best toppings for vegan pizza
To make the homemade vegan pizza you see pictured here I added the following toppings:
- Rao's Arrabiata Tomato Sauce (slightly spicy & delish!)
- Vegan cheese (Violife, Miyokos, and Field Roast Chao are three of my favorites)
- Thinly sliced mushrooms
- Sliced onions
- Fresh spinach
- Salt & pepper
I also love adding on Tofu Ricotta Cheese and Vegan Pesto!
One thing I want to stress that I have learned from making my fair share of homemade pizza is to not overload the dough with sauce or cheese. Otherwise, the dough will get soggy and won't crisp up.
Best temperature to bake pizza
When making homemade pizza in an oven, I find the best temperature is anywhere between 425F-450F. I also always preheat my pizza stone in the oven while I am rolling out the dough.
Also, I always rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through baking so my pizza forms an evenly browned crust. My final tip is to always cook the pizza on the middle rack with another tray or pizza stone on top. This helps the crust bake evenly and not get too crispy before it can cook throughout.
This recipe makes a pretty large 16-inch pizza with a thick crust, so I find it needs anywhere from 14-20 minutes of baking time.
It can also easily be made into two 8-inch pizzas. However, all ovens vary slightly so keep an eye on the pizza and remove it once the edges are browned and crispy. I have heard reports from some people that 425F is the better temperature to make this dough at which is likely because their oven runs a bit hotter than mine. Then, slice into 8 even pieces and serve!
FAQ & substitutions:
You bet! To freeze this dough let the dough rise completely and then lightly coat the dough ball with oil. Then, place the dough ball in a freezer-safe bag and seal tightly while making sure to squeeze out all the air.
The day before you plan to make the pizza, place the frozen dough in the fridge to defrost for 8-12 hours. Remove from the dough 30 minutes before baking and then shape the dough per the instructions in the recipe card.
Homemade pizza dough can be frozen for 3-4 months.
Yep! The herbs are really just there to give this pizza more flavor but do not impact the structure of the dough.
If you're omitting the herbs and/or garlic powder, you may need a little more salt for flavor, but all other ingredients remain the same! P.S- If you have a bottle of Italian Spices, simply add in 2 tsp of that in place of the basil and oregano.
It's very important to use a good baking stone that can withstand high heat when baking pizza.
I switch between my Emily Henry pizza stone and my USA Pan (pictured here) depending on the shape of pizza I want. I love both and recommend them fully!
Unfortunately, this pizza recipe cannot be made without yeast.
If you are using a non-porous pizza stone, you can lightly oil the pan.
If using a porous pizza stone, dust with flour or cornmeal before adding on the dough. Also, preheating the pizza stone does help as it will be nice and hot when you add the dough.
I know that was A LOT of info but hopefully, it answers all your questions so you can make the BEST Vegan Garlic Herb Pizza Dough from the comfort of your home! If you can't tell I am super passionate about making homemade pizza as it's pretty much a weekly occurrence in our house. I hope you enjoy this super easy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious pizza dough recipe!
-TSG
More weeknight dinner ideas you will love:
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Vegan Garlic Herb Pizza Dough
Ingredients
Instructions
- First add the warmed water and yeast to the mixing bowl and mix together. Let sit to proof the yeast for around 5 minutes. The yeast is ready when it is producing bubbles and the water is cloudy.
- Next, add in the olive oil and stir. Then, add in the remainder of the ingredients including the flour, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder. It's okay to add all at once, or add gradually if you prefer to mix as you go.
- Once a dough forms, remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a well floured surface for 5-8 minutes until stretchy and elastic. If using a standing mixer, add the bread hook at this time to knead the dough. The dough will still be slightly sticky, so add flour as needed to help knead the dough. You will know the dough is ready when it can be stretched and pulled without easily breaking.
- Next, add the kneaded dough to a well-oiled bowl and roll it around in the oil to coat. Then, cover the bowl tightly and let rise until doubled in size. If you would like to enjoy the pizza day of, let it rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place. Pizza dough is best if left to rise in the fridge for 6-48 hours for more complex flavors.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 450F and add the pizza stone to the oven to "preheat" (this helps to prevent the pizza from sticking).
- Then, shape the dough into a pizza. To do this, draw an imaginary line about 1 fingers width all around the edge of the pizza. This is the "line" we don't want to cross as this will be our crust. Then, draw an imaginary line down the middle of the pizza. Use your fingers to dimple and stretch the pizza dough from the middle line towards the crust. Then, flip the pizza and repeat on the other side. This action traps the air bubbles inside the dough and helps to keep the structure.
- Once you can fit your hands inside the dough, spread out the dough with your palms. You can do this as I did in the video by gently stretching the dough outwards OR you can lift the dough into the air and stretch with your hands in fists. If any tears form in the dough, simply pinch the dough back together. The middle of the dough should be thin, but not translucent (that would be too thin).
- Once the pizza is shaped gently place it onto the preheated pizza stone (which can be coated with oil or dusted with flour to prevent the dough from sticking) and add on the toppings.. Make sure to only add a thin layer of sauce and cheese for the best crispy pizza crust. If you would like, you can also brush the crust with olive oil for an extra crispy crust.
- Then, bake the pizza for 14-20 minutes until the crust is browned and the pizza is cooked through. Half way through baking, remove the pizza and turn it 180 degrees in the oven. The time you bake your pizza depends on the thickness and size.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and slice into 8 even slices using a pizza cutter. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Water should be warm (around 110F), not boiling hot, or it will kill the yeast. I prefer to heat my water in the microwave for 20 seconds to achieve this temperature.
- Pizza dough can rise in the fridge anywhere from 6-48 hours. If the pizza dough rises too much in the fridge during this time, just remove the bowl, punch down the dough, roll it back into a ball, cover, and add back to the fridge.
- If you are making this as one large 16-inch pizza it will need about 16-20 minutes of baking time. If you are baking this as two smaller 8-inch pizzas it will need 12-16 minutes of baking time.
- To freeze this dough let the dough rise completely and then lightly coat the dough ball with oil. Then, place the dough ball in a freezer safe bag and seal tightly while making sure to squeeze out all the air. The day before you plan to make the pizza, place the frozen dough in the fridge to defrost for 8-12 hours. Remove from the dough 30 minutes before baking and then follow the instructions from step 5 onwards. Homemade pizza dough will keep frozen for 3-4 months.
- Please note, if you are using a pizza stone it is best to preheat the stone and dust some flour on the bottom of the stone before adding the pizza to prevent the pizza from sticking, If you are using a coated pizza pan, it can be lightly oiled before adding on the dough.
- To help the pizza cook evenly, always bake it in the middle rack of the oven with a tray or pizza stone on the top rack. This helps the crust bake more evenly and not browning too quickly before the dough has time to cook throughout.
Maria says
I have tried this and its delicious, its really amazing with all the spices just going so well together. But i do have a question. What is the maximum rising time you can do if i dont want it in the fridge? Like i sometimes need it to be ready for dinner at 4-5 hours because i dont have time 1-2 hours. So is there a set time for maximum rising time
Megan says
I'd say outside of the fridge you don't want to let it rise more than the 1-2 hours as it could overproof and become yeasty and sour. But you could put it in the fridge first, then outside of the fridge at the end of the rising time. I hope that answers your question but let me know if I didn't understand it corectly!
Ashley says
I cannot wait to try this smells so good, don't normally leave reviews but I cannot wait to be eating it ha ha.
Megan Horowitch says
Yay hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Lennie says
This is our go-to pizza dough. The dough smells soooo good when you shape it out to the pizza shape, and even better as it cooks! I find some inconsistencies with how much it rises so it must be my yeast or the temp of the water. I love the tip about not adding salt to the yeast until you’ve mixed it with the olive oil. So true! I only make this dough - it’s the last recipe you’ll need!
Rita says
I am so excited to eat this pizza!! I’m patiently waiting for it to rise so I can put all my yummy ingredients on it!
My hands smell like yummy pizza dough after kneading it!
Megan Horowitch says
Enjoy!! 🙂
Jacob says
Really loved this dough recipe- I didn’t keep the toppings vegan but it was delicious.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you hear it- it does work well with any toppings 🙂
Sasha says
Would it be ok to substitute the all purpose for oat flour?
ShortGirlTallOrder says
Unfortunately I don't think that would work with this specific recipe as kneading the flour produces gluten which holds this dough together. If you do try it let me know how it goes!