Dairy-free Tomato & Basil Pizza
Crispy, dairy-free pizza with homemade dough, bright tomato sauce and bubbling vegan mozzarella — great for weeknights or feeding friends.
This is your go-to dairy-free pizza: simple dough, bright tomato sauce and plenty of veg, finished with dairy-free mozzarella that melts satisfyingly. It’s a proper hands-on pizza night recipe without the dairy.
Make it for casual midweek dinners or when friends pop round — the dough is forgiving, the sauce is quick, and you can swap toppings to suit what’s in the veg drawer.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 5 g instant dried yeast
- 10 g sea salt — for dough and seasoning
- 5 g caster sugar
- 325 ml lukewarm water
- 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil — 30 ml for dough, 15 ml for finishing and sauce
- 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove — finely grated
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 150 g dairy-free mozzarella — shredded or sliced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion — thinly sliced
- 15 g fresh basil — leaves separated
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- pizza stone or heavy baking tray
- pizza peel or baking parchment
- food processor or blender (for sauce)
- stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl whisk together the instant dried yeast, caster sugar and lukewarm water until the yeast dissolves. Leave for 5 minutes until slightly foamy.
Put the strong white bread flour and sea salt into a large bowl. Make a well, pour in the yeast mixture and 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil, then mix until a rough dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for 6–7 minutes).
Lightly oil a clean bowl with a little extra-virgin olive oil, place the dough inside, cover with clingfilm or a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size.
Turn the risen dough out, press out the gas, divide into two equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten — this makes shaping much easier.
Meanwhile place a pizza stone or a heavy baking tray on the highest shelf of your oven and preheat to 250°C fan/270°C conventional for at least 30 minutes so the stone is thoroughly hot.
Make the tomato sauce: blitz the tinned plum tomatoes with the garlic clove, dried oregano, 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt until slightly chunky. Taste and season with a little more salt if needed.
On a lightly floured surface stretch each dough round to about 25–28 cm diameter (use your hands rather than a rolling pin for a lighter crust). Transfer to a piece of baking parchment. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, scatter dairy-free mozzarella, then distribute chestnut mushrooms, red pepper and red onion. Season with black pepper and a little sea salt, and drizzle with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil.
Slide one pizza (on the parchment) onto the hot stone or tray and bake for 8–12 minutes until the crust has dark blisters and the dairy-free mozzarella is melted and bubbling. Repeat with the second pizza.
Remove pizza from the oven, scatter fresh basil leaves and finish with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Leave to rest 2 minutes, then slice and serve.
Tips
- If you’re short on time, divide the dough and chill in the fridge overnight — increase the first prove time to 12–24 hours for extra flavour, then shape at room temperature.
- Use your hands to stretch the base rather than a rolling pin for a lighter, bubbled crust; let gravity and gentle pulls do the work.
- Always preheat the stone or tray for at least 30 minutes — a cold surface is the most common reason for a soggy base.
- If you don’t have a pizza stone, a heavy inverted baking tray works; place the pizza on baking parchment to transfer it easily.
- Don’t drown the pizza in sauce. Thin is best — too much moisture prevents a crisp base.
Substitutions
dairy-free mozzarella → thin slices of grilled aubergine or extra chestnut mushrooms to keep it dairy-free
Noticeably differentstrong white bread flour → plain flour (use the same weight) — crust will be slightly less chewy and more tender
Stays closeinstant dried yeast → fresh yeast 21 g (dissolved in the water) — keeps the method but you must proof as for fresh yeast
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1400
- Calories
- 39 g
- Protein
- 214 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 2267 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the dough in a stand mixer?
Yes — use the dough hook on low to medium speed for 6–7 minutes until smooth. Finish by hand briefly to check elasticity.
What if my oven won’t reach 250°C?
Set it to the highest temperature it will reach and preheat the stone or tray thoroughly. You may need an extra 2–4 minutes baking time and should watch for a well-blistered crust.
Can I use tinned chopped tomatoes instead of plum?
Yes — use chopped tomatoes and drain a little juice if the sauce seems very wet. Plum tomatoes give a slightly richer texture but either works.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven (200°C fan/220°C conventional) for 6–8 minutes to revive the base.
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