Vegan Garlic Herb Pizza Dough (& VIDEO)

Truly the BEST homemade Vegan Garlic Herb Pizza Dough! This pizza dough recipe  is packed with flavor and is seriously SO easy to make. Plus, this pizza dough can be baked same day or prepped in advance for a make-ahead dough you can easily store in the fridge or freezer. Who is ready for all the pizza nights in to come?!

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 a 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 my 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 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.

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 dying 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 turn on to 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 from the bowl to shape and bake.

Shape & bake the pizza dough

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.

How to shape pizza dough by hand

The reason I don’t recommend a rolling pin is because 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.

P.P.S- If you want even more visuals of this process go to my Instagram stories and search “Sourdough It Up”: Under there you’ll see tons of tips from a professional on how to make the best pizza dough. It’s a slightly different mixing strategy, but it goes into tons of tips on how to shape pizza dough.

After that, add on the toppings!

Best toppings for vegan pizza

To make the vegan pizza you see pictured here I added the following toppings:

• Rao’s Arrabiata Tomato Sauce (slightly spicy & delish!)
• Vegan cheese (Violife and Miyokos mozzarella are two of my faves)
• Thinly sliced mushrooms
• Sliced onions
• Fresh spinach
• Salt & pepper

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.

While I love this basic pizza combo, here are a few other SGTO pizza recipes I LOVE:

• Vegan Butternut Squash & Pear Pizza  with seriously the BEST garlic creamy sauce
• Vegan Artichoke Pesto Pizza with an easy homemade pesto & loads of veggies

Best temperature to bake pizza

When baking homemade pizza in an oven, I find the best temperature is 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 nice and 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:

Can I freeze pizza dough?

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 will keep frozen for 3-4 months.

I don’t have the herbs, will this recipe work?

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.

What pizza stone do you recommend?

It’s very important to use a good baking stone that can withstand high heats 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!

Can I make this recipe without yeast?

Unfortunately, this recipe cannot be made without yeast.

What can I do to prevent pizza from sticking to the pan?

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 on.

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

Looking for more pizza topping ideas? Check out these other SGTO basics!

Crispy Sriracha Chickpeas

Spicy Lime Broccolini

Vegan Garlic Herb Pizza Dough

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: ShortGirlTallOrder
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 large 16 inch pizza or 2 8-inch pizzas 1x
• Category: Dinner, Vegan
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

The absolute BEST Vegan Pizza Dough. So good you’ll never buy a pre-made dough again!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup warmed water*(250 mL)
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 standard packet, 7 grams)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (60 mL)
• 3 cups+ 2 Tbsp- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (408-424 grams– start with 408 grams and add more as needed if dough too sticky)
• 1.5 tsp salt (8 grams, do not use less)
• 1 tsp dried basil (1 gram)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (1 gram)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (2 grams)

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. 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).
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.

Keywords: vegan pizza dough

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