Making a homemade vegetarian pizza from scratch is much simpler than it sounds, and the results are rewarding. The flavors are fresh, the process is simple, and aside from a bit of kneading, it doesn't require much effort, especially if you're using a stand mixer. Using All-purpose flour for pizza undoubtedly gives great results, but switching to bread flour added a noticeable boost in texture, giving the crust a chewier, more satisfying bite!
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Why will you love this?
- Perfect for vegetarians, with endless topping options to suit your taste.
- The homemade crust is incredibly fresh, flavorful, and far better than store-bought; you know exactly what goes into it.
- Ideal for cozy weeknights or relaxed weekend meals with family.
- Pairs beautifully with soups, pastas, or a fresh salad for a complete, satisfying meal.
What goes into this?
- For Dough
- bread flour or all-purpose flour, instant yeast
- sugar, salt, garlic powder, dried basil leaves
- olive oil
- Pizza Sauce
- tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, Italian herbs, Basil leaves
- honey or brown sugar, salt
- Others
- mozzarella cheese
- vegetables fresh vegetables of your choice, like bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, basil, and garlic.
How to make a vegetarian pizza with bread flour?
Bloom the yeast
Good-quality yeast is key to achieving a well-risen, airy pizza dough. I used Fleischmann's Classic Bread Machine Instant Yeast, which works reliably and doesn't require blooming. Always check the expiration date, as if the yeast is old, the dough won't rise properly.
You can also use active dry yeast, but it needs to be activated first. Mix it with warm water and a little sugar, and let it sit until it turns foamy and bubbly. While instant yeast can be added directly to the dough, I sometimes bloom it as well, just to be sure it's active.
Knead the dough
Add a portion of the flour along with salt and Italian seasoning, and knead until the dough comes together smoothly. Using a stand mixer, this takes about 5 minutes, while kneading by hand may take closer to 10 minutes. Once done, place the dough in a warm spot and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
- Step 1: Combine AP flour, instant yeast (or bloomed yeast), sugar, salt, and dried basil. Add the remaining flour and knead.
- Step 2: Form into a large dough ball and let it ferment and rise.
For a quicker and more controlled rise, you can use an Instant Pot, lightly grease the inner pot, place the dough inside, and set it to the yogurt mode (normal) for 30-60 minutes. After the dough has risen, give it a quick knead, then roll it out into a large circle, ready for your favorite toppings.
- Step 3: After a while, the dough rises. Deflate and knead again.
- Step 4: Roll into a pizza pan and poke with holes using a fork to prevent rising.
Make the Pizza sauce
You can either use store-bought pizza sauce or quickly make your own using canned tomato paste. Simply sauté chopped garlic in olive oil until fragrant, then add basil leaves along with Italian herbs and spices. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until well combined and slightly thickened.
Prep and Bake
Let the sauce cool, then spread it evenly over the rolled-out pizza base. Top with mozzarella cheese and your favorite vegetables, then transfer to a preheated oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Step 5: Spread the sauce on the rolled dough.
- Step 6: Add grated mozzarella cheese and veggies of your choice. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until the cheese melts.
If you love Italian dishes, do try the creamy chicken alfredo pasta recipe or pasta made with basil pesto sauce. Serve with some soups on the side, like the hearty tomato soup or the roasted pumpkin soup.
Useful Tips
- Use fresh, good-quality yeast for a well-risen, airy dough.
- If possible, opt for bread flour for a chewier, more textured crust.
- Lightly sauté vegetables beforehand to release excess moisture, as this helps prevent a soggy pizza. Also, avoid overloading with too many toppings.
- If kneading by hand, take a little extra time to work the dough until it becomes soft and elastic. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes the process quicker and easier.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn it to coat all sides. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel to keep it from drying out, and let it rest in a warm place.
- For a good rise, you can place the dough in an oven with just the light on or use an Instant Pot on yogurt mode.
- Once rolled out, gently prick the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much while baking.
- Preheat the oven well so the pizza cooks evenly and gets a crisp base.
- Let the sauce cool before spreading it on the dough to prevent it from becoming too soft.
- Use fresh mozzarella for a better melt and richer flavor.
- Roll the dough evenly to ensure consistent baking.
Recipe FAQs
Bread flour has more gluten and protein than regular all-purpose flour. The high content of gluten gives the baked goods a firmer structure and allows them to stretch and rise. I used King Arthur's brand, which has a good review from most people who use it.
The popular ones are bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, tomato, spinach, garlic, and olives. You can also add paneer cubes (Indian farmer's cheese), broccoli, and artichokes.
No, it's not needed, especially spinach, olives, and tomatoes. However, you can sautee onions and bell pepper to remove extra moisture if you like.
Vegetarian pizza can include dairy products like cheese along with a variety of vegetables. Vegan pizza, on the other hand, contains no animal-derived ingredients at all, which means skipping traditional cheese and using plant-based alternatives instead.
Related Recipes
If you tried this Vegetarian Pizza or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing from you!
Vegetarian Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 ⅔ cups bread flour or all-purpose Flour
- 2 ¼ tsp yeast 1 packet instant
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder or dried basil leaves optional
- ¾ to 1 cup water Adjust water accordingly
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Pizza Sauce
- 1 can Tomato paste 6 ounce
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ tsp Italian herbs Increase quantity if you like
- 1 tsp Honey or brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- ½ cup basil leaves fresh chopped
Others
- 1 block mozzarella cheese fresh shredded
- 1 cup vegetables fresh vegetables of your choice like bell peppers, olives, mushroom, onions, tomatoes, basil cut length wise
Instructions
To Make the Pizza base
- If you are using dry yeast add it to warm water and sugar and let it sit till it blooms. For instant yeast you can skip this step and directly add it to the dough .
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast (or bloomed yeast), sugar, salt, and dried basil (if using).
- Add olive oil and water and mix well.
- Add another cup of flour gradually and stir until the dough is cohesive and forms an elastic ball.
- You can use either use your hand to knead for about 10 minutes or a stand mixer for about 5 minutes. Add extra water if required to get a nice elastic dough.
- Place the dough in a bowl drizzled with olive oil and brush it completely with oil. Cover it up with a wet cloth and keep in a damp and moist place.
- When the dough doubles in size after about 30 minutes , gently deflate and knead on a floured surface.
- Roll into a thin layer and poke holes with a fork to avoid rising while baking .
- Add tomato sauce
- Add shredded mozzarella cheese and vegetables like bell pepper, onions,tomatoes, basil leaves, olives, mushrooms or any other of your choice.
- Preheat the oven to 425 def F and bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
- You can also broil for about 2 minutes to get a nice brown layer of cheese on top.
- Garnish with chopped basil leaves, red chili flakes and more cheese.Enjoy!
To Make Pizza sauce
- In a sauce pan, heat up some olive oil.
- Add chopped garlic and saute .
- Add the Italian herbs , basil and tomato sauce .
- Add water and mix well , to make it to desired consistency and simmer.
- Add brown sugar or honey and salt to taste.
- Add chopped basil leaves and mix well.
Notes
- Use fresh, good-quality yeast for a well-risen, airy dough.
- If possible, opt for bread flour for a chewier, more textured crust.
- Lightly sauté vegetables beforehand to release excess moisture, as this helps prevent a soggy pizza. Also, avoid overloading with too many toppings.
- If kneading by hand, take a little extra time to work the dough until it becomes soft and elastic. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes the process quicker and easier.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn it to coat all sides. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel to keep it from drying out, and let it rest in a warm place.
- For a good rise, you can place the dough in an oven with just the light on or use an Instant Pot on yogurt mode.
- Once rolled out, gently prick the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much while baking.
- Preheat the oven well so the pizza cooks evenly and gets a crisp base.
- Let the sauce cool before spreading it on the dough to prevent it from becoming too soft.
- Use fresh mozzarella for a better melt and richer flavor.
- Roll the dough evenly to ensure consistent baking.
Easy pizza recipe that worked really well. Homemade dough was delicious.
This is my new favorite homemade pizza recipe. The bread flour really makes a difference!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
The crust had such a great chew thanks to the bread flour. It was the perfect base for all the fresh veggies!