Oil-Free Pizza Sauce and Pizza Dough

Don't skip vegan pizza; make it healthy. This homemade oil-free pizza dough and sauce transform pizza into a nutritious meal to enjoy guilt-free. You will love this vegan oil-free pizza dough for various recipes!

Pizza anyone? When I transitioned to a plant-based diet, I thought I would never enjoy pizza again. Even though we ordered vegan pizza at our favorite vegan restaurants, the sauce and crust were always greasy. Then, I decided to make my own vegan oil-free pizza dough and sauce.

Jump to:

• Oil-Free Pizza Sauce Ingredients 
• Oil-Free Pizza Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
• Oil-Free Pizza Dough Secret Ingredients
• Oil-Free Pizza Dough Ingredients 
• How to Make Vegan Oil-Free Dough
• Recipe Variations
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Try These Delicious Vegan Italian Dishes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Although vegan pizza is readily available at most pizza restaurants, making oil-free pizza sauce and dough is more fun and healthier!  But it is possible to make oil-free pizza sauce and pizza dough. At least when you make pizza at home, you guarantee it's healthy.

For a quick and easy pizza option, try Vegan Pizza Pinwheels!

Oil-Free Pizza Sauce Ingredients 

To make an incredible pizza, the secret is in the sauce. A rich tomato sauce with astonishing flavor works perfectly with your favorite toppings. I love savory flavors.

• Tomato Puree: I used Muir Glen Organic or POMI crushed tomatoes containing only natural ingredients.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder comes from onions that have been dried (either air-dried, dehydrated, or freeze-dried) and then crushed to varying degrees, from flakes to powder. 
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is a spice derived from dehydrated garlic and used in cooking for flavor enhancement.
• Oregano: Originating in the mountains of Greece, this aromatic herb has long been a hallmark of cooking across the Mediterranean region.
• Basil: I chose to use fresh basil that grows in my garden.
• Crushed Red Pepper: Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes are condiments or spices consisting of dried and crushed (as opposed to ground) red chili peppers.
• Ground Black Pepper: Ground, dried, and cooked peppercorns have been used since antiquity, both for flavor and as traditional medicine. 
• Pure Maple Syrup: Maple syrup gives the sauce a slightly sweet flavor.
• Smoked Salt: Smoked salt is salt that has been smoked low and slow over burning wood for up to two weeks. The resulting smoke flavor depends mainly on the type of wood used to smoke the salt. The most common types of wood used to lend salt a smoky flavor are oak, mesquite, cherry, maple, hickory, applewood, and alderwood.

Oil-free pizza sauce, for example, makes enough for 2 medium pizzas, but I double the recipe and freeze the rest.

Oil-Free Pizza Sauce Ingredient Substitutions

• Use tomato sauce instead of tomato puree.
• If using dried herbs use half the amount indicated for fresh herbs.
• Try an Italian Seasoning blend instead of using fresh herbs.
• Agave or date syrup replaces maple syrup in recipes.

Oil-Free Pizza Dough Secret Ingredients

However, the secret to the crust is vital wheat gluten and flaxseed meal.  

What is Vital Wheat Gluten?

Wheat gluten is a food made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed, leaving the sticky insoluble gluten as an elastic mass, which is then cooked before being eaten.

What is Flaxseed Meal?

Flaxseed meal, on the other hand, provides protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. One tablespoon of ground flax seeds, for instance, contains the following:

• Calories: 37
• Protein: 1.3 grams
• Carbs: 2 grams
• Fiber: 1.9 grams
• Vitamin B1: 8% of the RDI,Vitamin B6: 2% of the RDI
• Folate: 2% of the RDI
• Calcium: 2% of the RDI
• Iron: 2% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 7% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI
• Potassium: 2% of the RDI

Oil-Free Pizza Dough Ingredients 

After making it for the hundredth time, I decided this was my new  'go-to' dough! Every great pizza begins with a great pizza crust. Some like a thin and crispy pizza crust, while others prefer a thick and soft one. This homemade pizza crust has it all: soft and chewy with a delicious crisp and AWESOME flavor.

• Warm Water: Run the tap water until it is warm; do not heat in the microwave or stove.
• Dry Active Yeast: Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water before using, while instant yeast can be mixed right into dry ingredients
• Vegan Raw Sugar: Did you know all sugar isn't vegan? Vegan raw sugar is certified organic cane sugar and sugar made exclusively from beets.
• Whole Wheat Flour: Whole wheat flour naturally contains the level of fiber found in wheat.
• Vital Wheat Gluten: A small amount of vital wheat gluten makes the dough stretchy,
• Flaxseed Meal: Flaxseed meal adds an aromatic and delicious nuttiness to this bread, while also transforming the texture into something a little moist and spongy
• Maple Syrup:
• Salt: Salt enhances the flavors in the dough.
• Cornmeal: I use cornmeal for the bottom of the pizza stone.

How to Make Vegan Oil-Free Dough

• Use a fork or spoon to combine water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl–set aside until foaming.
• Combine all remaining ingredients (except maple syrup) in a large mixing bowl.
• Now add yeast (again it will be foamy).
• Now add the maple syrup.
• If the dough is too sticky to handle with your fingers, add a tablespoon of flour. or more for desired consistency.
• If it’s too dry to hold together, add a teaspoon or more of water. Knead the dough for just a minute or two.
• Set dough aside in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Knead, stretch, and roll out the dough in a circular shape.
• Put cornmeal on the bottom of a pizza stone. This will give your pizza a crunchy bottom and prevent sticking.
• Put the dough in the oven WITHOUT any toppings. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes. This will cook the surface of the dough and make it so it doesn’t get soggy with toppings.
• While it pre-cooks, prepare your toppings.

Recipe Variations

With this in mind, I chose a Mediterranean pizza, and a mushroom, onion, and arugula pizza. Although you can choose any toppings, the oil-free sauce and dough work well with any toppings. 

And if you like cheese, try my Vegan Cheese for Pizza recipe!

Mediterranean Pizza Toppings

• Spinach
• Red Onion
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes:
• Artichoke hearts
• Kalamata Olives
• Garlic
• Add sesame seeds to the crust for added toasty goodness.

Mushroom Onion Arugula Pizza Toppings

• White Onion
• Mushrooms
• Arugula
• Balsamic Vinegar

For those who meal prep, the dough, and sauce can be frozen and used later.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• I always double or triple the vegan oil-free pizza dough and freeze it, so I always have pizza dough available.
• The oil-free pizza sauce can also be frozen. I like freezing in Souper Cubes.
• Adding cornmeal to the pizza store before placing the dough on the stone prevents it from sticking and gives it an extra crunchy crust.
• Place a pizza stone in the oven on the lowest rack when using a pizza stone. Placing the stone in a cold oven is very important because if you put the cold stone into a hot oven, the stone will crack and break–it's called thermal shock. Allow at least 30 minutes for the stone to heat before you cook the pizza.
• Keep the grill temperature between 450-475 degrees when grilling and using a pizza stone. Ensure the stone has been appropriately preheated for 30 minutes, ensuring the pizza doesn't stick or burn on the stone.

If you love vegan pizza but want a healthier option, try this oil-free pizza sauce and dough recipe.

Try These Delicious Vegan Italian Dishes

If you love this vegan oil-free pizza sauce and pizza dough, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe