This Vegan White Sauce Pizza is made with chewy homemade pizza dough and layered with vegan cheese and veggies! It's a real crowd-pleaser and perfect for pizza night.
White pizza (also known as pizza Bianca) is a pizza that doesn't have tomato sauce. Instead, it's generally made with cheese, garlic, olive oil, and spices.
This vegan version features creamy white sauce, vegan mozzarella, spinach, and artichoke hearts. It's an easy recipe that tastes even better than some pizza places out there.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. This vegan white sauce pizza is ready in less than 1 hour and is made with simple ingredients. I've also provided step-by-step photos to make it even easier for you.
- Made with a crispy and chewy homemade pizza crust. No store-bought pizza crust can compare to freshly made pizza dough. If you've never made your own pizza crust before, don't worry, I got you!
- Cheesy and creamy! This recipe features my creamy vegan white sauce and a generous amount of cheese, which makes it truly irresistible.
- Customizable. You can add any of your favorite toppings, sauces, and vegetables, and you can make it different every time!
Ingredients
- Flour: Make sure to use white all-purpose flour for the fluffiest and softest pizza crust. I haven't tried this recipe with whole wheat flour so I can't guarantee results.
- Yeast: I am using active dry yeast, which needs proofing, but you can also use instant dry yeast and add it directly to the dry ingredients.
- Olive oil: You'll need it both for making the dough and greasing your hands while kneading.
- Warm water: It's essential that your water is lukewarm (around 100-110ºF), and not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast the dough won't rise.
- Sugar: A little bit of sugar helps feed the yeast, which will activate it and allow the dough to rise faster.
- Salt: To season the dough.
- Vegan bechamel sauce: This will be our pizza base which will carry all of our toppings.
- Toppings: I am using baby spinach, artichoke hearts, and VioLife's vegan mozzarella shreds, but you can use any toppings you like! For more ideas, check out the "Toppings Ideas" section towards the end of the post below.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Vegan White Sauce Pizza
Step 1: Activate the yeast
In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. At the yeast and whisk until it dissolves as well. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy and bubbly.
Step 2: Make the pizza dough
In the meant time, in a large mixing bowl, measure the flour and stir in the sugar and the salt. When the yeast is ready, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients, alongside the olive oil.
Using a fork, mix until the dough becomes so sticky that you can't continue mixing with the fork anymore. Then add a drizzle of olive oil on a clean surface, and on your hands as well. Sprinkle some flour and transfer the dough.
Step 3: Knead the dough
Knead the pizza dough for 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft. At first, the dough may stick to the counter and your hands, but don't worry, just keep greasing your hands and kneading. If you really have to, you can add 1 more tablespoon of flour, but try to add as little as possible.
Step 4: Rise the dough
After a few minutes of kneading, the dough should be no longer sticky. Grease a large bowl with some oil (I use the same bowl from before and wash it) and transfer the dough. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. If it's a particularly cold day, put the bowl in the oven and turn on the light.
After rising, lightly punch down the dough to release air. Then grease your hands, and knead for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball again.
Step 5: Roll out the pizza crust
Using a rolling pin, roll the pizza dough into a 12-13 inch pizza crust. Transfer it to a baking sheet or a pizza stone and pre-bake the crust for 6-7 minutes in a preheated oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Hint: Since the toppings that I am using don't need much time in the oven, I like to pre-bake the crust so I don't burn my toppings later.
Step 6: Add toppings and bake!
Then, spread the white sauce and add your toppings. In my case, I am adding the baby spinach on the bottom, followed by the artichoke heart, and vegan cheese all over the pizza.
Finally, top with a sprinkle of black pepper if desired, and bake the pizza for 8-10 more minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melty and bubbly. Serve right away!
Expert Tips
- Test your yeast before starting. It's super important to make sure you're using fresh yeast. To test that, In a bowl, mix 1 teaspoon sugar with ½ cup lukewarm water until dissolved. Add two teaspoons of active dry yeast and mix again. Set it aside for 10 minutes. If the yeast is active and fresh, it should expand and become foamy and bubbly. If not, it's expired and you'll need new yeast.
- Use lukewarm water to activate the yeast. Cold water won't activate the yeast and hot water will kill it. Make sure your water is between 100-110ºF (38-43ºC).
- Give the dough enough time to rise. This is important to end up with a fluffy and light pizza crust that has a chewy texture. If the dough has not risen properly, you'll end up with a flat crust.
- When kneading, oil your hands regularly. Instead of adding more flour and drying out the pizza dough, oil your hands and the counter regularly, to prevent the dough from sticking.
- If you have a stand mixer, use it to knead the dough. This makes it way easier and less messy.
- If you're using toppings that don't need much time in the oven, pre-bake your crust. This will ensure that you won't burn the toppings later and that the crust will be fully cooked.
FAQ
Nope. Regular pizza dough is almost always vegan, as it only contains flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. However, if you're eating at a fast-food restaurant, make sure to ask to be sure.
Yes! You can prepare the dough 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to use. Before baking, you will need to allow the dough to come to room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Yes! I recommend freezing it before you bake it for maximum freshness and flavor. The pizza will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Variations
- Pizza dough: If you can't make pizza dough from scratch, you can use store-bought pizza crust instead. Just make sure to read the ingredients to guarantee it's vegan.
- White sauce: While I am using a homemade vegan bechamel, you can also use a store-bought vegan white pizza sauce or you can make cashew cream by blending soaked cashews with water.
- Cheese: You can use any cheese you like including Follow Your Heart, Daiya, Chao, or homemade vegan mozzarella cheese.
Topping Ideas
This delicious pizza can be made with many different toppings, including:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Sliced green or black olives
- Vegan sausage
- Vegan pepperoni
- Vegan parmesan or ricotta cheese
- Sliced red onion or shallots
- Crumbled crispy tempeh or smoky tofu
- Caramelized onions
- Mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, or oyster
- Crispy chickpeas
- Fresh herbs such as parsley or fresh basil leaves
- Nutritional yeast
Serving Suggestions
This vegan white pizza recipe pairs perfectly with garlic ciabatta bread, creamy potato salad without eggs, pesto pasta, and roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze.
It also goes well with any salad such as vegan Ceaser salad or vegan Caprese salad.
Storage
Let it cool to room temperature, cut it into pieces and transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
More Comforting Vegan Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan White Sauce Pizza
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza stone or a baking sheet
Ingredients
Vegan pizza dough
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour plus more for sprinkling
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus more for oiling your hands as needed
- ¾ cup (175ml) warm water 100-110ºF (38-43ºC)
Toppings
- 1 batch vegan white sauce
- A few handfuls of baby spinach
- 12-15 Artichoke hearts in oil, drained
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds, or more if desired (I use VioLife)
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Basil leaves, for serving optional
Instructions
Pizza dough
- In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. At the yeast and whisk until it dissolves as well. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy and bubbly.
- In the meant time, in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a mixture with a paddle attachment) add the flour and stir in the sugar and the salt. When the yeast is ready, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients, alongside the olive oil.
- Use a fork (or turn on your mixer), and mix until the dough becomes so sticky that you can't continue mixing with the fork anymore. Then add a drizzle of olive oil on a clean surface, and on your hands. Sprinkle some flour and transfer the dough.
- Knead the pizza dough for 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft. At first, the dough may stick to the counter and your hands, but don't worry, just keep greasing your hands and kneading. If you really have to, you can add 1 more tablespoon of flour, but try to add as little as possible.
- After a few minutes of kneading, the dough should be no longer sticky. Grease a large bowl with some oil (I use the same bowl from before and wash it) and transfer the dough. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. If it's a particularly cold day, put the bowl in the oven and turn on the light.
- After rising, lightly punch down the dough to release air. Then grease your hands, and knead for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball again.
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Using a rolling pin, roll the pizza dough into a 12-13 inch pizza crust. Transfer it to a baking sheet or a pizza stone and pre-bake the crust for 6-7 minutes.
Assemble pizza
- Then, spread the white sauce and add your toppings. In my case, I am adding the baby spinach on the bottom, followed by the artichoke heart, and vegan cheese all over the pizza. Finally, top with a sprinkle of black pepper if desired, and bake the pizza for 8-10 more minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the chees is melty and bubbly. Serve right away!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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