Can you think of anything better than pizza night? I can’t! Homemade pizza has a quality and taste that take-out just can’t match. This pizza with tempeh sausage is meaty, savory, and full of flavor. You can add all the toppings you want! The smoky and spicy vegan sausage goes great with a number of veggies, pizza sauce, and the soft crust. Make it a night to remember and serve it with caesar salad, wedge fries, and ranch dressing for dipping. Or make a batch of my vegan naan and use it for the crust instead!
Ingredients Needed (with substitutions)
All-purpose flour – Feel free to make this recipe with half all-purpose and half whole-wheat flour, or make a whole wheat pizza dough instead. I haven’t tested this dough recipe with gluten-free flour, but an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix should work well. Instant yeast – Feel free to use regular yeast if that’s what you have at home. You’ll just need to let the dough rise for longer (about 1-2 hours). Sugar – To sweeten the pizza crust and feed the yeast. Warm water – The yeast will be killed if the water is too hot and won’t activate if too cold. Use your hand to feel the temperature. Tempeh – Tempeh is usually not gluten-free, so make sure to check the package first if you want to make a gluten-free pizza. Feel free to swap it out with barbecue tofu instead. Garlic, fennel seeds, dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes – These classic Italian seasonings add depth and flavor the tempeh sausage. Soy sauce – Use tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option or vegan Worcestershire sauce to add a meaty flavor. Pizza sauce – You can use storebought tomato pizza sauce for this recipe, homemade or spread on homemade barbecue sauce instead.
How to make vegan pizza
You’ll be enjoying your pizza within an hour thanks to this easy process. To make your own homemade pizza, let’s start with the dough:
Homemade pizza dough
Making your own pizza dough is actually quite easy. You can use this recipe for not only pizza, but also garlic knots, cinnamon rolls, or breadsticks.
Here is what the dough will look like once doubled:
Tempeh sausage crumbles
Make the tempeh sausage while the dough is rising.
Putting the pizza together
When the dough has risen, remove it from the oven (if using this method).
Topping suggestions
Don’t forget the cheese! Shreddable Vegan Mozzarella, Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella, Vegan Parmesan, or store-bought vegan cheese shreds such as Daiya will all be delicious on top of the pizza. You can make it extra “meaty” by adding sliced pepperoni, tempeh or tofu bacon, or vegan taco meat. Looking for more topping suggestions? Use diced green bell pepper, sliced red onion, olives, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, or pineapple on the pizza.
Making it ahead of time
You can make the pizza dough a day ahead of time. Prepare the dough and let it rise, then punch it down and form into a ball. Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use. You can freeze the dough as well by preparing it as usual. Form the dough into a ball, then coat in olive oil and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. To thaw, leave the frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight.
More pizza recipes you’ll love
Hawaiian BBQ Vegan Pizza Sweet Potato Pizza Crust Vegan Pepperoni Pizza Whole Wheat Oil Free Pizza
Tempeh Sausage was adapted from this cookbook, Vegan with a Vengeance. It was one of my first vegan cookbooks over 10 years ago, and is still one of my favorites!
