Ultimate Vegan Pizza

I am calling this "ultimate" vegan pizza because, after 10 years on a vegan diet, this is definitely the recipe that best satisfies those vegan junk food cravings and is our long-standing favorite pizza recipe. Of course, if you are newly vegan this won't immediately replace a cheese-laden pizza from your not too distant memory, but given time tastes do change and you will find that vegan pizza is delicious.

Plan for the time you need to make the dough and let it rise. Often, I will make the dough in the morning, let it rise the first time, and then put it in the fridge until later that day when I am ready to make the pizza. Then take it out in enough time to let it come back to room temperature.

Ultimate Vegan Pizza

Dough Ingredients:

1 pkg active dry yeast (about a tbsp of yeast)
1 1/2 cups warm water (not hot, though, you don't want to kill the yeast)
2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups all-purpose flour

Dough Directions:

Place the yeast in a large mixing bowl with the warm water and the sugar. Mix it gently with a wooden spoon and then leave it for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the yeast should be forming a foam on the top of the water. If you do not see any foam, it means your yeast is dead and you should start again with new yeast. Otherwise, add the olive oil, salt, and one cup of flour. Mix to incorporate and then continue adding flour one cup at a time until a loose shaggy dough begins to form. Then slowly work in the last cup of flour while you knead the dough.

You want a nice elastic dough that is not too dry. So don't add any more flour than you have to while you knead the dough. The amount of flour you will need to add varies - I think it has to do with the brand of flour, the humidity, etc. that determines how much flour to add before your dough has a nice smooth yet slightly tacky feel to it. Knead the dough for around 5-7 minutes or so.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Set the dough aside in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise for an hour. After the hour, your dough should have doubled in size. Punch it down and let it rise again (if you made the dough ahead, here is where you can put it in the fridge until you are ready to use. Otherwise, let it rise for another 30 minutes before rolling out for pizza. Alternately, if you refrigerated the dough, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before you plan to roll it out so it can come to room temperature, which makes it much easier to work with.

Pizza Ingredients:

16 oz jar of vegan pizza sauce
Vegan parmesan (Follow your Heart makes a really good one)
Veggies for topping (artichoke hearts, diced red onion, sliced mushrooms, and diced fresh tomato are great)
Meat substitute of your choice (I really like dicing up Lightly Seasoned Tofurky Chicken and sprinkling it on top)

Pizza Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees. I like to heat a pizza stone in the oven at the same time the oven is pre-heating and use a pizza peel to slide the pizza into the oven and onto the stone.

Divide your dough for the individual pizzas you are planning to make. I usually go for 3 small-medium sized pizzas. You could also divide the dough in half for two larger pizzas.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then top it with the pizza sauce, vegan parmesan, and any veggies that you like. Add a meat substitute if you choose to, and slide the pizza into the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes and then turn the pizza for even baking. Then bake for 2-5 minutes more.