29 Jan Make Your Own Vegan Pizza From Scratch!

There’s nothing like a relaxed pizza party spent at home with your loved ones. Great conversation, chilled music, a bottle of wine and a heaping helping of delicious pizza, topped with melted cheese and succulent veggies and herbs – all come together to make a perfect evening.

But for those of us who don’t eat meat, dairy, eggs or any other animal products, pizza presents a tempting challenge that’s often off-limits! Until now that is… check out the ultimate guide to making your own vegan pizza from scratch.

The base, the sauce, the toppings and yes, even the cheese are all vegan-friendly, wholesome and surprisingly easy to make. Plus, making your own home-baked pizzas is just so much more satisfying than ordering a take-out.

THE CRUST

The foundation of every good pizza is a good base. This simple recipe lets you create your own vegan-friendly and wholesome wholewheat pizza crust, using just 5 ingredients!

INGREDIENTS

• 2tsp dried yeast
• 1tsp organic sugar
• 445ml warm filtered water
• 640g wholemeal flour, plus more for dusting
• A pinch of salt

METHOD

• Mix the water, sugar & yeast together in a bowl. Stir with a metal spoon until combined. NB: Make sure that the water is warm but not hot; warm water will activate the yeast but hot or boiling water will kill it.
• Leave the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast has dissolved into the water & started to foam.
• Combine the flour & salt in a separate bowl; stir with a metal spoon until combined.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour & pour in the yeast mixture. Stir with a metal spoon until it forms a wet sticky dough.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with the extra flour. Place the dough on the floured surface & knead for about 5 minutes, until it can be rolled into a ball without sticking to your hands or to the surface.
• Lightly oil the inside of a large bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl & cover with a wet tea towel; put the bowl in a warm place.
• Leave the dough to rise for about 45 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
• Remove the tea towel & use your fist to knead the air out of the dough. It should be very soft & airy.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Knead the dough for another 1-2 minutes until smooth & elastic.
• Divide the dough ball into two even pieces & roll each one into a ball.
• Roll each ball out to make a round pizza base.
• Lightly oil 2 x 30cm pizza dishes & gently press each dough base into a tray.
• Bake at 392°F for 5-10 minutes ,until slightly browned.
• Your pizza bases are now complete, and you’re ready to add vegan-friendly sauce, cheese & toppings!

THE SAUCE

A herby tomato mix will give your vegan pizza that classic Italian flavour.

INGREDIENTS

• 170ml organic tomato paste
• ½tsp fresh or dried basil
• ½tsp fresh or dried oregano
• ½tsp garlic powder
• ½tsp organic granulated sugar
• Pinch of sea salt to taste

METHOD

• Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Adjust seasonings as desired.
• If your paste is too thick, add a little filtered water until you have a smooth, spreadable sauce.
• Spoon the sauce onto each pizza base, then spread it evenly over each base, using a spatula or the back of a spoon.

THE TOPPINGS

Mix and match all your favourite veggies – sprinkle them over the pizza bases raw, or lightly sauté them first. For a fun interactive pizza night, make the bases and the sauce beforehand, chop up your veggies and put each one in an attractive bowl – then let your guests choose and add their own combination of toppings before you pop the pizzas in the oven. Try some of these:

• Bell peppers
• Button mushrooms
• Fresh or sundried tomatoes
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Caramelised or dried onion
• Spinach

THE “CHEESE”

A melty cheesy pizza topping is one of those things that so many vegans still miss years after giving up dairy! This yummy vegan cheeze recipe gives you a similar texture and taste to melted cheddar cheese, so you can complete your pizza without breaking your vegan diet.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup filtered water
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 2Tbsp cornstarch
• 1Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1tsp lemon juice
• ½tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp garlic powder
• ¼tsp onion powder

METHOD

• Place all the ingredients in a blender & process until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a saucepan; stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken & bubble.
• Whisk vigorously while adding 2Tbsp filtered water.
• Drizzle immediately over your pizza.

If you’d rather not make a cheeze sauce, simply sprinkle some of our tasty mock parmesan cheese powder over your pizzas instead.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER…

• Once your pre-baked pizza base has been spread with sauce, adorned with fresh veggies and lovingly smothered in tangy cheeze, it’s time to put it in the oven.
• Bake at 392°F for 15-20 minutes, until the edges of the crust are crisp & golden-brown.
• Garnish with fresh herbs if desired; serve & enjoy!

Check out our full range of vegan foods, snacks and ingredients online.