this easy from-scratch pizza dough and sauce come together with vegan pepperoni and cheeze to create a riff on a classic favourite!

serves 2-4 depending on bravery (8 large slices) / baking time: 20-25 min / prep time: ~5 minutes / inactive time: 1-1.5 hrs

equipment needed: large baking sheet (or pizza stone), small saucepan with a lid

dough ingredients:

• 300g bread flour (or 00 – i prefer regular bread flour here)
• 8g instant yeast
• 2Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing*
• 1tsp kosher salt
• 1tsp sugar, agave, or vegan honey (i like bee-mindful. their hot honey is also amazing drizzled on top of pizza!)
• warm water as needed (likely between 3/4c and 1c)

*not all olive oil is created equal – it can be expensive, but shoot for a variety that’s in glass at minimum. olive oil stored in plastic is of terrible quality and simply does not taste as good! the more opaque the container, the better. i recommend villa cappelli.

dough method:

1. in a large bowl, add the flour. on one side, add the instant yeast. add the salt, sugar, and olive oil on the other side.
2. slowly drizzle in warm water while stirring with a spoon or spatula. err on the side of less water than too much! the goal is to get a dough to come together. the exact quantity of water you need can depend on several factors (your flour, the humidity in your kitchen), so experiment!
3. once a dough has come together (if it’s a little sticky, wet your hand with water first), knead briefly for about three minutes.
4. to another large bowl so the dough has room to expand (or use the same bowl, but clear out and stuck-on bits first), add a few drops of olive oil.
5. place the dough in the oiled bowl, moving it up the sides a bit to help coat. drizzle a bit more olive oil on top, if desired.
6. cover the bowl with a clean towel, plastic wrap, or reusable dish wrap for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

sauce ingredients:

• 1Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2-1tsp red pepper flakes, if desired (use less for less heat, or omit)
• 3/4c passata/smooth-pureed tomatoes
• 1Tbsp italian style seasoning (alternatively, make your own by combining 1tsp each of dried oregano, basil, and marjoram, with 1/2tsp each of rosemary and thyme. continue to use 1Tbsp of this mixture and any extra can be used for topping your pizza, or stored in an air-tight jar for another recipe)
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp brown sugar (white works too)
• 2Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
• 1tsp veggie broth powder or half a veggie bouillon cube
• 1tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2tsp garlic powder

sauce method:

1. in a small saucepan pre-heated over medium heat, add the olive oil. allow the oil to come to temperature, about 1-2 minutes.
2. add the pepper flakes to the pan, if using. stir frequently for ~30 seconds.
3. as the saucepan is hot, i prefer to momentarily take it off the heat: pour the passata into the saucepan carefully to avoid splatter.
4. return to the heat and stir, adding in the italian style seasoning, salt, brown sugar, nutritional yeast, broth powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
5. reduce to a low simmer and cover. allow to simmer for at least ten minutes. i like to let mine simmer almost the whole time i’m prepping the pizza so it can get thick and jammy.
6. once the sauce has reached your desired texture (it will thicken up a bit) and has simmered for at least ten minutes, remove from the heat and set aside, covered.

pizza ingredients:

• prepared dough
• prepared sauce
• vegan cheese of choice (i use a combination of daiya mozzarella and parmesan)
• vegan pepperoni – i use yves
• ~1tsp cornmeal, optional, for dusting
• 1tsp olive oil, optional, for coating the baking sheet
• 2tsp vegan butter
• 1tsp italian seasoning
• pinch of salt (<1/8tsp)

pizza method:

1. start by prepping the pepperoni. for a pizza of this size, you’ll need about half the package if you’re using yves. vegan pepperoni is (usually) not very fatty and lacks that nostalgic chewy snap, so i have a fix for that!
2. in a small microwave-safe bowl or container, melt the vegan butter. 30-45 seconds in most microwaves should be sufficient.
3. to the melted butter, add the italian seasoning and salt, stirring to combine.
4. add the pepperoni to the bowl, stirring them around to get them coated in the seasoned butter. just trust me! set aside.
5. preheat your oven to 475F**
6. prepare the baking sheet by adding 1tsp of olive oil to it, spreading it around to the vague shape of what you want your pizza to look like. sprinkle cornmeal on top, if desired, to add an extra crispness to your crust.
7. once the dough has risen, punch it down in the bowl. with clean hands, lift the dough, stretching it into the desired shape. my favourite way to do this is to drape the dough over the back of my hands, stretching gently to create an even circular shape.
8. place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. i like to poke little divots in the base of the dough to prevent any areas puffing up too much..
9. add the sauce to the dough, leaving a half-inch perimeter bare for the crust. if you have extra sauce left over, save it for dipping later!
10. add the cheese. i prefer to start with the mozzarella, add toppings, then finish the pizza with parmesan shreds.
11. arrange the prepared pepperoni around the pizza. if you’re adding any other toppings, now’s the time (however, if fresh basil is one of those, wait until it’s out of the oven)!
12. bake for 15 minutes, then flip around the baking sheet to ensure even cooking for another 5-10 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven and how well-done you enjoy your crust.
13. optionally, turn the broiler on high when the pizza is just shy of the doneness you desire. keep an eye on it with the oven light on to make sure it does not burn, but this can help brown the cheese.
14. remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheet for at least five minutes before carefully transferring to another surface to slice. top with extra pepper flakes or italian seasoning and enjoy!

**you can certainly start at a higher heat for less cook time and a crispier crust. i personally avoid this however when using daiya, as it tends to skip the melting stage and goes straight to being crispy and unpleasant. if you’re using a different cheese that you’re familiar with, feel free to instead use a 500F oven, and simply bake your pizza for less time. i’d start to keep an eye on it after 10 minutes.