Desperate times call for desperate measures. There’s nothing quite like a perfectly light, chewy, and crispy traditional pizza crust made with yeast, but right now we have to make do with what we’ve got and for many, yeast is hard to come by! And I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not going to give up my beloved pizza just because I can’t find any yeast at the store. ?So for the time being I’m making this super fast and easy No-Yeast Pizza Dough to get my fix. Make sure you scroll down and read about the differences between yeast and no-yeast dough to get a better idea if this type of dough will work for you!
It’s important to understand that no-yeast pizza dough is not exactly like a traditional pizza dough made with yeast. No-yeast pizza dough does not go through a lot of kneading and rising, so it has a softer, fluffier, less chewy, and more bread-like texture. It’s not super crispy, it does not make those big delicate bubbles on the edges, and it doesn’t get very brown. It kind of reminds me of the old-school Dominos crust before they revamped their recipe, or some of the thicker-crust frozen pizzas. So, if you are a fan of either of those types of crusts, you might like this one as well!
Looking for a more traditional pizza dough recipe? Check out my classic Homemade Pizza Dough or Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust.
Instead of gas bubbles produced by live yeast, this pizza dough rises through gas bubbles produced by baking powder. Baking powder requires both water and heat to react, so you won’t see this dough rising as it sits at room temperature. That’s one of the great benefits of this no-yeast pizza dough—there’s no need to sit and wait for it to rise. Once it goes into the hot oven, then it springs into action!
As with most pizza doughs, using a rolling pin is a little easier, but it does create a flatter, more dense baked crust. If you gently stretch the dough by hand, more of the air bubbles are preserved in the dough and you’ll get a slightly more airy crust. So, take your pick based on your preferences!
I baked the pizza below on a sheet pan lined with parchment because on this day I was favoring convenience over texture. A parchment lined sheet pan produces a softer bottom crust, but makes cleanup super easy. If you bake on a perforated pizza pan or a pre-heated pizza stone, you’ll get a crispier bottom crust, but you’ll need to take extra care to prevent the dough from sticking (a good dusting of flour or cornmeal under the dough).
Want some pizza topping ideas? Try my White Pizza with Parsley Pesto Drizzle, Eggs Florentine Breakfast Pizza, or Garlicky Kale and Ricotta Pizza.
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
I thought you might like an inside look at the texture of this no-yeast pizza!
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, and ¾ tsp salt to a large bowl. Stir until these ingredients are well combined.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to 1 cup water, then pour them into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Stir the ingredients together until they form a shaggy ball of dough and no more dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too dry and does not come together in one piece or there is a lot of flour left on the bottom of the bowl, add a little more water (1 Tbsp at a time), until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead just a few times until the dough feels evenly mixed (no hard or dry pieces). Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes so the gluten relaxes, which makes it easier to roll or stretch out.
Roll or stretch your dough out to the desired shape or size, making sure not to stretch it to less than ¼-inch thick. Remember, while rolling is easier, it produces a flatter slightly more dense dough. Stretching makes a slightly lighter, fluffier crust. I rolled my dough about half way, then hand stretched the rest of the way.
Transfer your dough to your preferred type of pan (notes on the results you’ll get from different pans is above the recipe). I used a parchment lined sheet pan, which will result in a softer bottom crust, but is waaaaay easier to clean up. (This is a splatterware sheet pan from Rove & Swig)
Add your preferred sauce and toppings (Homemade Pizza Sauce, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper in photo above).
Bake your pizza for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top.