Fresh Corn, Poblano, and Cheddar Pizza

This vegetarian Fresh Corn, Poblano, and Cheddar Pizza is perfect for summer get-togethers. In this recipe, sweet corn meets smoky roasted poblano pepper. Rockin’ Recipes I’m a recipe hoarder.

Fresh Corn and Poblano Pizza
This vegetarian Fresh Corn, Poblano, and Cheddar Pizza is perfect for summer get-togethers. In this recipe, sweet corn meets smoky roasted poblano pepper. Rockin’ Recipes I’m a recipe hoarder.

Gluten-Free Vegan Sausage Pizza

When craving pizza night, this is the recipe I go for: a simple gluten-free crust (either store-bought or homemade), simple red sauce, quick sautéed veggies, our homemade vegan sausage, and nut cheese.
The result is an incredibly comforting meal made …

Gluten-Free Vegan Sausage Pizza

When craving pizza night, this is the recipe I go for: a simple gluten-free crust (either store-bought or homemade), simple red sauce, quick sautéed veggies, our homemade vegan sausage, and nut cheese.

The result is an incredibly comforting meal made with 9 real, whole food ingredients that taste AMAZING. Let us show you how it’s done!

Pizza Crust

For this version, we used Simple Mills Gluten-Free Crust (NOT SPONSORED, we just love it!) to keep it quick and easy so we could focus on the homemade toppings.

Gluten-Free Vegan Sausage Pizza from Minimalist Baker →

Homemade Pizza Dough

I know it sounds cheesy, but pizza really is my favorite food. It has endless possibilities and usually includes my favorite things: bread, tomatoes, and cheese. And when you make your pizza dough from scratch, pizza is one of the cheapest dinners you can make. The best part? All of the ingredients for pizza dough […]

The post Homemade Pizza Dough appeared first on Budget Bytes.

I know it sounds cheesy, but pizza really is my favorite food. It has endless possibilities and usually includes my favorite things: bread, tomatoes, and cheese. And when you make your pizza dough from scratch, pizza is one of the cheapest dinners you can make. The best part? All of the ingredients for pizza dough are pantry staples, so you can make this whenever without planning ahead. AND it’s freezer-friendly so you can always have some stashed and ready to thaw on a moment’s notice.

Originally posted 7-2-2010, updated 6-16-2020.

Close up of a homemade pepperoni pizza

What is in Homemade Pizza Dough?

While there are several styles of pizza dough out there in the world, this particular recipe is super simple and only includes:

  • Water
  • Yeast
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Flour
  • Olive Oil

That’s it! Really! This particular recipe creates a crust that is crispy on the outside, but still tender on the inside. If you use a rolling pin to really compact the dough and roll it thin, you’ll get a result that more closely resembles a crispy thin-crust pizza. Toss the dough by hand, gently stretching the dough and leaving some thickness will give you that crispy-yet-tender finish, with a few of those awesome big bubbles.

What Kind of Yeast Can I Use?

The instructions below will work with active dry or instant yeast.

How to Freeze Pizza Dough

After kneading the pizza dough, form it into a ball, coat the dough ball with a little oil to keep it from sticking to the plastic, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place the plastic wrapped dough ball in a heavy duty freezer zip top bag, label, date, and place it in the freezer!

How to Thaw Pizza Dough

To thaw your frozen pizza dough, place it in the refrigerator the night before you intend to bake the pizza. The dough will rise slightly as it thaws. The other option is to allow the dough to thaw at room temperature, which will take about two hours. You’ll want to unwrap the pizza dough from the plastic before letting it thaw. Place the frozen dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with a clean towel as it thaws.

Pizza sauce being spread onto a stretched pizza dough with toppings on the sides

Make some homemade pizza sauce to go with your pizza crust!

 
Close up of a baked homemade pepperoni pizza

Homemade Pizza Dough

Homemade pizza dough is easy and costs pennies on the dollar compared to store bought. Make a batch now and freeze it for later!
Total Cost $0.62 recipe / $0.16 serving
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 272.3kcal
Author Beth - Budget Bytes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cups warm water $0.00
  • 1 tsp yeast* $0.08
  • 1 Tbsp sugar $0.05
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour $0.30
  • 1 tsp salt $0.03
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16

Instructions

  • Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Allow the yeast water to sit for about 5 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam develops on top.
  • While you’re waiting for the yeast, add 1 cup of the flour and the salt to a large bowl, then stir well to combine.
  • Add the olive oil to the yeast water, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt. Begin adding more flour to the bowl, ¼ to ½ cup at a time, until it forms a ball of dough that can no longer be stirred with a spoon.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, then knead for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour as you go to keep it from sticking.
  • At this point you have three options: use the dough tonight (one hour after kneading), use it tomorrow (allowing it to rise in the refrigerator over night) or within a month (freezing the dough).

To Use the Pizza Dough Same Day

  • Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour, or until it is double in volume.
  • Once risen, stretch or roll the dough out to a 14 to 16-inch circle, place on a pizza pan, and top with your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake the pizza in a preheated 450ºF oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy.

To Use the Pizza Dough the Next Day

  • Allowing the dough to proof (rise) slowly in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours gives the dough even more flavor. Form the dough into a ball and coat with oil. Place the dough in a covered container and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before stretching, topping, and baking.

To Freeze the Dough for Future Use

  • Form the kneaded dough into a ball, coat it with oil, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and transfer to the freezer. When you are ready to use the dough, simply place it on the counter for one hour prior to use. The dough should be at room temperature before stretching, topping, and baking.

Notes

*active dry or instant yeast

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 272.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.1g | Protein: 6.85g | Fat: 4.18g | Sodium: 592.4mg | Fiber: 1.98g

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Close up of a bubble in a slice of pizza

How to Make Pizza Dough – Step By Step Photos

yeast being added to a measuring cup with water

Start by dissolving 1 tsp active dry yeast (or instant yeast) and 1 Tbsp sugar in ¾ cup warm water.

Foamy yeast water in a glass measuring cup

Let the yeast water sit for about 5 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam develops on top.

Flour and salt in a bowl

While the yeast is blooming, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Stir until combined.

Yeast water and oil being poured into bowl with flour and salt

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the yeast water, then pour it into the bowl with the flour and salt. Stir until the mixture is fairly smooth.

More flour being added to the bowl

Begin adding more flour, about ¼ to ½ cup at a time, until you can no longer stir the mixture with a spoon.

Dough ball in the mixing bowl

Once it forms a ball that you can no longer stir with a spoon, turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.

Kneaded dough ball

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour as you go to prevent it from sticking. Once kneaded, you should have used about 2 cups flour total, since the first step of stirring salt into the flour. Total flour amount can vary depending on humidity and other factors. At this point you can let the dough rise and make a pizza same day, refrigerate the dough and make pizza with it the next day, or freeze the dough for future use.

oil being poured onto a ball of dough in a mixing bowl.

To make a pizza same day: Place the dough ball back into the mixing bowl, add just a small drizzle of oil, and turn the dough to coat it in the oil. The oil will keep the dough from drying out as it rises.

Risen pizza dough in the bowl

Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it is double in volume.

Pizza sauce being spread on stretched dough

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Stretch or roll the pizza dough out to 14-16 inches and place on a pizza pan. Add your favorite pizza sauce…

Cheese and pepperoni added to pizza dough

And your favorite toppings…

Baked homemade pizza

Bake in the fully preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust and toppings are browned.

Side view of a slice of pizza being lifted from the pan

Slice and enjoy!

Try These Homemade Pizza Flavors:

The post Homemade Pizza Dough appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Ultimate Spinach Pizza

Get your greens and pizza fix all at once with this spinach pizza! Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese make for a creamy pie everyone will love. Want to get your greens and eat your pizza too? Try this Spinach Pizza! It’s got the power to change the minds of spinach haters everywhere. Yes, this pizza is all about garlicky, savory flavor! Any bitterness in the spinach melts away into the three cheeses. Ricotta makes for a creamy base, and mozzarella and Parmesan add stretchy texture and savory flavor. Top it off with herby spinach and a few colorful vegetables, and it’s a crowd-pleaser that everyone will love (especially with Italian salad). Even spinach haters! The secret to this spinach pizza? Frozen spinach. This spinach pizza has a little secret. It uses frozen spinach! Now, why is that important? It’s not just for the convenience factor (though that’s a thing). Frozen spinach has a satisfying texture: think spinach artichoke dip! Fresh spinach and frozen spinach are almost like two separate ingredients. Frozen spinach is blanched before it’s packaged, meaning it’s cooked quickly before freezing. This gives it a super satisfying texture when topped on a pizza: lightly crunchy and almost fluffy, […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Get your greens and pizza fix all at once with this spinach pizza! Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese make for a creamy pie everyone will love.

Spinach pizza

Want to get your greens and eat your pizza too? Try this Spinach Pizza! It’s got the power to change the minds of spinach haters everywhere. Yes, this pizza is all about garlicky, savory flavor! Any bitterness in the spinach melts away into the three cheeses. Ricotta makes for a creamy base, and mozzarella and Parmesan add stretchy texture and savory flavor. Top it off with herby spinach and a few colorful vegetables, and it’s a crowd-pleaser that everyone will love (especially with Italian salad). Even spinach haters!

The secret to this spinach pizza? Frozen spinach.

This spinach pizza has a little secret. It uses frozen spinach! Now, why is that important? It’s not just for the convenience factor (though that’s a thing).

  • Frozen spinach has a satisfying texture: think spinach artichoke dip! Fresh spinach and frozen spinach are almost like two separate ingredients. Frozen spinach is blanched before it’s packaged, meaning it’s cooked quickly before freezing. This gives it a super satisfying texture when topped on a pizza: lightly crunchy and almost fluffy, whereas cooked spinach can get a little slimy. It reminds us of spinach artichoke dip!
  • It’s easy to use frozen spinach: no cooking necessary. Yes, the convenience factor is a thing too! Frozen spinach just needs a rinse under warm water to thaw it. No cooking required!
Spinach pizza

How to make spinach pizza (basic steps)

This spinach pizza is a white pizza, meaning it has a white sauce (or olive oil) that covers the dough. The most technique-driven part of making a pizza is the pizza crust, which we’ll walk through down below. Here are the basic steps (or go right to the recipe):

  • Make the pizza dough. See below for more on how to do it. Or, you can also do a “cheater” pizza by using this as a topping for Naan Pizza or Flatbread Pizza!
  • Thaw and season the spinach. All it needs is a quick rinse under warm water. Here’s the important part: squeeze out as much water as possible over a strainer! This brings the spinach to a dry, almost crumbly texture. This is what you want!
  • Season the ricotta. Mix it with some salt, pepper and minced garlic.
  • Top with mozzarella and Parmesan, then the spinach and veggies. That’s it!

A few more white pizza recipes? Try our Ricotta Pizza or White Pizza (Pizza Bianca).

Homemade pizza dough & alternative options!

Homemade pizza dough is absolutely worth the effort: and once you practice a few times, it will become second nature! There are also several alternative options that are easier and quicker. Here’s a breakdown:

  • Pizza dough: master recipe! This Best Pizza Dough is our tried and true crust: it comes out with the absolute perfect texture. Stretching the dough takes a bit of practice, but it’s not hard. Head to How to Stretch Pizza Dough.
  • Thin crust. Try this Thin Crust Pizza Dough: it’s easy to roll out into a thinner, crispier crust.
  • Naan or flatbread pizza. To make a quick and easy pizza, try our Naan Pizza or Flatbread Pizza.
  • Pan pizza. You can even make this into a pan pizza in a cast iron skillet! It takes a little longer, but it’s easier because you don’t have to stretch the dough.
How to make spinach pizza
How to make

Equipment you need (for the master recipe)

If you make our master pizza dough recipe or the thin crust pizza, you’ll need a few tools for your spinach pizza. Here’s what we recommend:

  • Pizza stone: You can bake pizza on a baking sheet, but it’s infinitely better on a pizza stone! A pizza stone is what makes Italian pizza crust crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Here’s the best pizza stone we’ve found, plus care tips.
  • Pizza peel: When you use a pizza stone, it’s easiest to use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. We recommend this Standard pizza peel or this Conveyor pizza peel.

Variation: make it into Spinach Artichoke Pizza!

Do you love spinach artichoke dip? (We do!) You can easily make this spinach pizza into a Spinach Artichoke Pizza! Here’s what to do:

  • Remove the red onion and red pepper.
  • Top it with a handful of chopped artichokes from a can or jar of artichoke hearts.
  • Or make this Spinach Artichoke Pizza, a slightly different variation!
Spinach pizza

Other topping ideas

There are lots of other fun topping ideas for this spinach pizza! Here are a few ingredients we’d try:

  • Tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • Feta cheese crumbles
  • Bell peppers, multi-colored
  • Caramelized onions
  • Prosciutto

This spinach pizza is…

Vegetarian.

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Spinach pizza

Ultimate Spinach Pizza


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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Get your greens and pizza fix all at once with this spinach pizza! Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese make for a creamy pie everyone will love.


Ingredients

  • 1 ball Best Pizza Dough (or Thin Crust Dough)
  • 8 ounces frozen spinach
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 handful sliced red onion
  • 1/2 jarred roasted red pepper (or fresh red bell pepper), diced
  • 1/2 small garlic clove (1/4 teaspoon minced)
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Make the pizza dough: Follow the Best Pizza Dough or Thin Crust Dough recipe to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)
  2. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
  3. Prepare the spinach: Run the spinach under warm water in a strainer, then squeeze out as much water as possible so that it has a dry, crumbly texture. Mix it in a bowl with 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, the garlic powder and the oregano.
  4. Prepare the other toppings: Mince the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta with the kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and minced garlic. Thinly slice the red onion, and dice the roasted red pepper.
  5. Bake the pizza: When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
  6. Spread the seasoned ricotta onto the dough. Top with the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, red onion, and red pepper.
  7. Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Spinach pizza

More favorite pizza recipes

It’s pizza party time! Here are a few more topping ideas to try:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Flatbread Pizza

Flatbread pizza is easy to make: a great appetizer or simple dinner! Use store bought flatbread to keep it fast, and pick your favorite pizza toppings. We’re all about traditional artisan Italian pizza around here. But we’re also about weeknight shortcuts. Meet the flatbread pizza! This idea doubles as a quick and easy dinner or an elegant appetizer. Here the crust is thin and crispy, and it’s topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, arugula and Parmesan cheese shavings, with balsamic reduction drizzle to finish it off. But you can use any pizza toppings you’d like! Here’s how to put together this quick and breezy pizza. What’s a flatbread pizza? There’s no official definition of flatbread pizza. Some sources say it’s any pizza with a thin crust, others say it’s pizza shaped in a rectangle. Others say it’s pizza that uses a flatbread as the crust. For this recipe, we went with the latter definition. To us, it’s a pizza made using a flatbread! This makes it quick and easy to make, and a little different from all our other pizza recipes. It’s very similar to this Naan Pizza! Homemade flatbread vs store bought Homemade flatbread makes for the best tasting flatbread pizza! […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Flatbread pizza is easy to make: a great appetizer or simple dinner! Use store bought flatbread to keep it fast, and pick your favorite pizza toppings.

Flatbread pizza

We’re all about traditional artisan Italian pizza around here. But we’re also about weeknight shortcuts. Meet the flatbread pizza! This idea doubles as a quick and easy dinner or an elegant appetizer. Here the crust is thin and crispy, and it’s topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, arugula and Parmesan cheese shavings, with balsamic reduction drizzle to finish it off. But you can use any pizza toppings you’d like! Here’s how to put together this quick and breezy pizza.

What’s a flatbread pizza?

There’s no official definition of flatbread pizza. Some sources say it’s any pizza with a thin crust, others say it’s pizza shaped in a rectangle. Others say it’s pizza that uses a flatbread as the crust. For this recipe, we went with the latter definition. To us, it’s a pizza made using a flatbread! This makes it quick and easy to make, and a little different from all our other pizza recipes. It’s very similar to this Naan Pizza!

Flatbread pizza

Homemade flatbread vs store bought

Homemade flatbread makes for the best tasting flatbread pizza! But, it takes a little time to put together. If your goal is a delicious homemade appetizer, you may want to go with homemade. If you’re going for a quick and easy dinner, store bought is the way to go. Here are a few notes:

  • Homemade flatbread: This Easy Flatbread recipe takes about 1 hour to make, with 30 minutes hands off time. That makes this flatbread pizza with homemade flatbread about the same time commitment as thin crust pizza. The pros? You can make the flatbread in advance, it’s an easier method, and you don’t need a pizza peel or pizza stone.
  • Store bought flatbread: Making this flatbread pizza with store bought flatbread is so fast! Try to find the highest quality bread you can find: any type of naan bread or pocketless pita bread works well.
Easy flatbread recipe
Easy Flatbread works well as a pizza!

Ingredients for flatbread pizza

Here are the rest of ingredients you’ll need for this flatbread pizza! The method is simple: prebake the crust in a 450 degree oven for a few minutes until lightly crisped, then top it and bake a few more minutes until the cheese melts. Here’s what we used:

  • Flatbread: We used homemade Easy Flatbread
  • Cheese: Mozzarella and shaved Parmesan
  • Veggies: Tomatoes and thin sliced red onion
  • Baby arugula: Make sure to find the baby variety! Standard is much too spicy
  • Balsamic drizzle: It’s optional, but balsamic reduction (or a purchased version) adds a sweet tart element
  • Pine nuts: The nutty punch of toasted pine nuts take it over the top

10 more flatbread topping ideas

Of course, you can top flatbread pizza with whatever you like! Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

  1. Margherita: red sauce, mozzarella and basil. Try Perfect Margherita Pizza.
  2. Classic cheese. Try Homemade Cheese Pizza.
  3. Pesto and fresh tomatoes. See Pesto Pizza.
  4. Refried beans and cheese. See Taco Pizza.
  5. Mushrooms, veggies & feta. See Veggie Supreme Pizza.
  6. Peppers, onions and arugula. See Best Healthy Pizza.
  7. Spinach and artichokes. See Spinach Artichoke Pizza
  8. Mushrooms and herbs. See Truffle Pizza.
  9. Olives, spinach & sundried tomatoes. See Mediterranean Pizza
  10. Avocado, peppers, and goat cheese. See Veggie & Avocado Pizza
Flatbread pizza

What to serve with flatbread pizza

You can serve this flatbread pizza as an appetizer, and it feeds about 4 to 6 people. Or try it as a main dish: it’s a light pizza so you’ll need to accessorize with hearty sides. How to make it into a meal? Here are a few things we’d pair with it:

This flatbread pizza recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Flatbread pizza

Flatbread Pizza


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 17 minutes
  • Yield: 4 pizzas
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Flatbread pizza is easy to make: a great appetizer or simple dinner! Use store bought flatbread to keep it fast, and pick your favorite pizza toppings.


Ingredients

  • 4 Flatbreads (or purchased flatbreads)
  • Olive oil, for brushing
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes (or 1 thin sliced tomato)
  • 1 handful thin sliced red onion (optional)
  • 2 handfuls baby arugula
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese, to garnish
  • Balsamic Reduction, to garnish
  • Toasted pine nuts, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mince the garlic. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Mix the baby arugula in a small bowl with a drizzle of olive oil.
  3. Place the flatbreads on the oven grate and bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly crisp (depends on the thickness of the bread you’re using).
  4. Remove the breads and place them on a baking sheet. Brush the crusts with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and a pinch of salt. Add the cherry tomatoes and bake for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts.
  5. Top with the baby arugula, shavings of Parmesan cheese. If using, drizzle with balsamic reduction and top with toasted pine nuts.

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Flatbread pizza

More pizza options!

Outside of our standard pizza recipes, we’ve got a few more fun alternative pizzas to try:

  • Easy Eggplant Pizza Use eggplant for the crust to make Eggplant Pizza! These mini pizzas are tasty and easy to make, covered in garlicky sauce and gooey cheese.
  • Perfect Pan Pizza Here’s how to make the incredible pan pizza at home! It’s got thick pillowy crust and tastes like your favorite pizzeria…but even better.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Eggplant Pizza

Use eggplant for the crust to make Eggplant Pizza! These mini pizzas are tasty and easy to make, covered in garlicky sauce and gooey cheese. Here’s a non-traditional pizza recipe that’s stolen our hearts: eggplant pizza! No, it’s not pizza with eggplant on it. It’s pizza crust made of roasted eggplant! Yes, “pizza” is perfect for busy evenings when you don’t have energy to make a pizza. It’s a healthy, naturally gluten-free pizza that’s loads quicker than the standard. Top it with whatever you like, and it’s a quick, whole foods way to get dinner on the table fast. (Or a late night snack. Done it!) Wait…eggplant pizza? Here at A Couple Cooks, we don’t shortcut on our pizzas. Our Italian-style Margherita Pizza recipe is our pride and joy, honed over 10 years of studying Italian pizza. But! That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a quick and easy alternative. This healthy eggplant pizza is a spin on a recipe we made years ago from someone you might not expect…Julia Child! Yes, Julia Child, master of French cooking, has a recipe for eggplant pizza in one of her cookbooks. Except she called it something fancy and French! Alex and I made […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Use eggplant for the crust to make Eggplant Pizza! These mini pizzas are tasty and easy to make, covered in garlicky sauce and gooey cheese.

Eggplant Pizza

Here’s a non-traditional pizza recipe that’s stolen our hearts: eggplant pizza! No, it’s not pizza with eggplant on it. It’s pizza crust made of roasted eggplant! Yes, “pizza” is perfect for busy evenings when you don’t have energy to make a pizza. It’s a healthy, naturally gluten-free pizza that’s loads quicker than the standard. Top it with whatever you like, and it’s a quick, whole foods way to get dinner on the table fast. (Or a late night snack. Done it!)

Wait…eggplant pizza?

Here at A Couple Cooks, we don’t shortcut on our pizzas. Our Italian-style Margherita Pizza recipe is our pride and joy, honed over 10 years of studying Italian pizza. But! That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a quick and easy alternative. This healthy eggplant pizza is a spin on a recipe we made years ago from someone you might not expect…Julia Child!

Yes, Julia Child, master of French cooking, has a recipe for eggplant pizza in one of her cookbooks. Except she called it something fancy and French! Alex and I made these as an appetizer for a meal years ago when we were first learning to cook, so they’ll always hold a place in our hearts.

How to make eggplant pizza: an overview

Here’s the basic concept behind eggplant pizza, or: pizza with a roasted eggplant crust! The main steps are as follows (or jump right to the recipe):

  • Roast the eggplant. Slice an eggplant into rounds and then roast it for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The texture you want is tender, but something that still holds its shape: so you can eat it with your hands!
  • Top with pizza sauce & toppings. Add pizza sauce (our homemade sauce is epic!) and top with cheese. In Julia’s pizza she puts fresh basil under the cheese, which makes for a nice fresh flavor.
  • Broil and serve! Then you’ll broil the pizza until the cheese is melted and golden brown. And that’s it: perfect eggplant pizza!
Eggplant pizza

Look for a uniform-sized eggplant.

One tip for eggplant pizza: look for a globe eggplant that’s as uniform in size all the way down as possible. Many globe eggplants have a thin neck and get very large at the bottom. This means that when you slice them, you get lots of small circles and then massive circles.

Finding a uniformly sized eggplant helps so that all your pizzas are closer to the same size. Of course, this doesn’t affect the flavor. So it’s not it’s not required, just a helpful hint!

Try our homemade pizza sauce…it’s a must!

Of course, you can use storebought pizza sauce for this eggplant pizza. But! We highly recommend trying our Easy Pizza Sauce at least once because, here’s the thing. It takes just 5 minutes to make in a blender. And when you take a taste of a spoonful, you will never go back! Every time we make it, I taste it and say: “Wow, that really is the best pizza sauce.” Give it a try and let us know if you agree. (Fire roasted tomatoes are the key.)

Eggplant pizza

Variations on eggplant pizza toppings

You can add any toppings you like to this healthy eggplant pizza! While we love them topped simply with cheese and fresh basil, here are a few more ideas:

  1. Pesto and fresh tomatoes. See Pesto Pizza.
  2. Peppers, onions and arugula. See Best Healthy Pizza.
  3. Spinach and artichokes. See Spinach Artichoke Pizza
  4. Olives, spinach & sundried tomatoes. See Mediterranean Pizza
  5. Avocado, peppers, and goat cheese. See Veggie & Avocado Pizza
Eggplant pizza on baking sheet

A great gluten-free pizza option!

This eggplant pizza is a perfect gluten-free pizza option! It’s difficult to find a great gluten-free pizza dough, and nice to have a different option for gluten-free and keto diets. Of course, we like this pizza in its own right: so it works for people of all diets.

What to serve with eggplant pizza

You can serve this eggplant pizza as an appetizer, and it feeds about 4 to 6 people. Or try it as a main dish! We’d recommend doubling the recipe below for 4, and then serving with some hearty sides. How to make this eggplant pizza into a meal? Here are a few things we’d pair with it:

This eggplant pizza recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Eggplant Pizza

Easy Eggplant Pizza


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 to 3 as a main; 4 to 6 as an appetizer
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Use eggplant for the crust to make Eggplant Pizza! These mini pizzas are tasty and easy to make, covered in garlicky sauce and gooey cheese.


Ingredients

  • 2 pounds globe eggplant*
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup Easy Pizza Sauce
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
  • Kosher salt, to season

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Slice the eggplant into 3/4 inch thick slices. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the tops liberally kosher salt (about 1/4 teaspoon total) and the dried oregano.
  3. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape.
  4. While the eggplant roasts, make the pizza sauce.
  5. Top the eggplant with a thin layer of the pizza sauce, then add the chopped basil, divided between the rounds. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, divided between the rounds, and sprinkle the tops with a little more kosher salt.
  6. Broil the eggplant until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes, rotating the pan as necessary for even cooking (alternatively, you can bake the pizzas until the cheese melts). Top with more fresh basil and serve.

Notes

*This recipe is easy to double to feed 4 as a main dish. If you can, try to find eggplant that is a uniform size all the way down the eggplant (eggplant that has a very large bulb at the end makes for more variation in pizza size). 

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

More eggplant recipes

Love eggplant? Us too. Here are a few more tasty eggplant recipes:

  • Eggplant Caponata Eggplant and Mediterranean vegetables make a tangy, garlicky Italian appetizer that’s perfect spread over crusty bread.
  • Roasted Eggplant Pasta Flavor-packed with zesty marinara sauce! An impressive plant based dinner, it works for weeknights or parties.
  • Perfect Roasted Eggplant Here’s how to make the BEST roasted eggplant! Baking until it’s tender makes for unreal flavor.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Perfect Pan Pizza

Here’s how to make the incredible pan pizza at home! It’s got thick pillowy crust and tastes like your favorite pizzeria…but even better. Eh ’em. Calling all lovers of thick, pillowy pizza crust! This epic homemade pan pizza tastes just like the thick crust pizza from your favorite pizzeria. The smell wafting from the oven is enough to make you visibly drool (we did!). Cooking in a cast iron skillet makes the crust crispy on the outside and soft on the inside: and the cheese goes all the way to the edges. These supreme-style toppings with gooey cheese and garlicky tomato sauce…well, it’s true perfection. Side benefit: it’s easy to make, too. Here’s how to make the best pan pizza! How to make pan pizza: an overview Alex and I have spent years honing the art of Neapolitan-style artisan pizza and the perfect Margherita. But we’d never mastered American-style pan pizza: until now! While this style takes a little longer to make, it’s actually easier! You don’t have to shape the dough or worry about transferring it to a pizza stone. Throw it in a cast-iron skillet and let the oven do the magic! Here’s a basic outline of what […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Here’s how to make the incredible pan pizza at home! It’s got thick pillowy crust and tastes like your favorite pizzeria…but even better.

Pan pizza

Eh ’em. Calling all lovers of thick, pillowy pizza crust! This epic homemade pan pizza tastes just like the thick crust pizza from your favorite pizzeria. The smell wafting from the oven is enough to make you visibly drool (we did!). Cooking in a cast iron skillet makes the crust crispy on the outside and soft on the inside: and the cheese goes all the way to the edges. These supreme-style toppings with gooey cheese and garlicky tomato sauce…well, it’s true perfection. Side benefit: it’s easy to make, too. Here’s how to make the best pan pizza!

How to make pan pizza: an overview

Alex and I have spent years honing the art of Neapolitan-style artisan pizza and the perfect Margherita. But we’d never mastered American-style pan pizza: until now! While this style takes a little longer to make, it’s actually easier! You don’t have to shape the dough or worry about transferring it to a pizza stone. Throw it in a cast-iron skillet and let the oven do the magic! Here’s a basic outline of what you’re getting yourself into with skillet pan pizza:

Make the dough15 minutes active
Proof dough in skillet45 minutes to 1 hour, inactive
Proof dough again (and prep toppings)45 minutes, inactive (use time to prep toppings)
Top and bake pizza15 minutes, inactive
How to make pan pizza

You’ll need a 10″ cast iron skillet

The only equipment you’ll need to make pan pizza is a cast iron skillet! You’ll need a 10-inch skillet for this recipe, because the dough size is designed especially to fit this pan.

The trick to extra thick crust: two proofs!

If you’ve baked bread before, you’ll know the term “proof”. Proofing is when you let bread dough rest after you’ve added yeast, so that it rises. The trick to getting the extra thick crust in this recipe is proofing the dough twice. The downside is that you’ll need to wait for 45 minutes not once but twice. The up-side is that you’ll get super thick, pillowy crust.

Another pro to making a skillet pan pizza: you don’t have to worry about shaping the dough! No throwing pizza dough in the air, or getting frustrated when it tears. Just proof it in the skillet, then press it out into the dough. It’s so simple!

Dough in cast iron skillet

This pizza sauce is a must

When you think about toppings for pan pizza, you can use anything you like. Just make sure to make our Best Pizza Sauce! It is full of incredible flavor and makes any pizza taste like you just stepped into a pizzeria. Even better, it takes just 5 minutes to make. Please. We beg of you. Make this sauce! Go to Best Pizza Sauce for the recipe.

Top your pan pizza with these epic supreme toppings!

OK, so here’s the deal. You can top this pan pizza with cheese and pepperoni if you’d like. But might we suggest topping with these epic supreme toppings? Typically we encourage creativity (and we do!). But you’ve got to try these toppings at least once. They make your house smell like you just stepped into a pizzeria. And they taste, well…epic. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (lots of it!)
  • Mushroom sauteed with fennel seed = tastes like sausage!
  • Bell peppers
  • Red onion
  • Dried oregano
Best skillet pan pizza

Pan pizza baking technique: stovetop then oven!

One last note about the technique for a pan pizza. The first thing you’ll do once you’ve topped your pizza is not put it in the oven. Nope, you’ll put it on a stovetop burner first and cook for 2 minutes. This makes sure that the bottom heats up just enough before it gets into the oven, making for the perfect crispy crust bottom. Trust us on this one!

Keep in mind: you can only make one (unless you have 2 skillets!)

This pan pizza recipe is made right in the cast iron skillet: you’ll rise the dough there for 1.5 hours, then press it in. Because of that, you can only make one pizza at once. Unless of course, you have two 10-inch cast iron skillets! (If so, can we be friends?)

That might not sound like enough. But guess what? The crust of a pan pizza is very thick, making it much more filling than a thin crust pizza. Typically Alex and I have at least 2 pizzas for our family (2 adults plus 3 year old), but with a pan pizza we can get by with one. Just make sure to accessorize with a salad or side. Speaking of…

Pan pizza

Ways to serve this pan pizza

Because you can only make one pan pizza at once, it’s an excuse to get creative on side dishes! It’s easy for Alex and me to load up on pizza, so we like the added challenge with this pan pizza. Here’s what we like to serve with it:

  • Favorite Chopped Salad This chopped salad will amaze everyone around the table! Homemade Italian dressing, crisp veggies and Parmesan cheese combine into one extraordinary salad.
  • Easy Arugula Salad The simplest salad you’ll ever make! This easy arugula salad is fool-proof: you don’t even need to make dressing. It comes together in minutes!
  • Spinach Apple Salad So easy and SO good, it will be your new go-to! No one will believe it took minutes to put together.
  • Simple Citrus Salad This refreshingly simple citrus salad features grapefruit and oranges topped with a tangy vinaigrette and fresh mint.
Best pan pizza

This perfect pan pizza recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Pan pizza

Perfect Pan Pizza


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Here’s how to make the incredible pan pizza at home! It’s got thick pillowy crust and tastes like your favorite pizzeria…but even better.


Ingredients

For the pan pizza dough

  • 188 grams (1 1/2 cups) Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 118 grams (1/2 cup) warm water
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

For the topping

  • 4 baby bella mushrooms or one portabella mushroom
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 bell pepper (or 1/4 green and 1/4 red)
  • 1 handful thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/2 cup Easy Pizza Sauce
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Dried oregano

Instructions

  1. Make the dough (15 minutes): Combine the flour, yeast, salt, oregano and garlic powder in a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and stir until a raggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
  2. Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
  3. Proof the dough (45 minutes to 1 hour): Generously the oil bottom and sides of a 10” cast iron skillet with olive oil. When the kneading is finished, use floured hands to gently shape the dough into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Set the dough in the center of the skillet and dab the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. Cover with a damp towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size and spread out, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. Press and proof again (45 minutes): Remove the towel and drizzle with a tad of olive oil. Use your fingers to press the dough out into a circle to the edges of the pan. Cover and rest for 45 minutes.
  5. Preheat: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 475F.
  6. Prep the toppings: Slice the baby bella mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Saute the mushrooms and fennel seeds for about 3 to 5 minutes, until they become golden brown and start to release moisture. Add 2 pinches of kosher salt and cook another minute, then remove from the heat.
  7. Finely dice the green pepper. Thinly slice the red pepper. Thinly slice the red onion.
  8. Top and bake the pizza (20 minutes): When the dough is ready, spread the pizza sauce over the dough using the back of a spoon to create a thin layer all the way to the edges of the dough. Add the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Top with the mushrooms, peppers, and red onion. Sprinkle with dried oregano and a few pinches of kosher salt. Top with another light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
  9. Place the skillet on a stovetop burner on high heat for two minutes. Then transfer to the oven and bake 13 to 17 minutes until the cheese is browned. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan so that the cheese doesn’t stick, then cool it to cool slightly. After a minute or so, remove the pizza to a cutting board and slice it into pieces. Serve immediately.

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian American

Keywords: Pan Pizza, Easy Pan Pizza

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

A Yeast-Free Hack for Homemade Pizza Dough

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make th…

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make things run a little more smoothly for you and your loved ones.


I rarely get text messages anymore. All of my conversations seem to take place on WhatsApp or, more recently, the Hollywood Squares grid of a Zoom call. The only contact who continues to send texts is my old friend Dominos, who messages me every week to share “Crazy Tuesday,”—or here in Paris, “Mardi Fou”—pizza specials.

Read More >>

Cheesy Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Hot Honey.

I’m basically the happiest with this lemon flatbread pizza. At least, as happy as I can be right now. Let’s just say that crunchy flatbread, lots of cheese and bright, fresh lemon definitely helps. I love a good flatbread pizza! From this old school four cheese version to the roasted cauliflower one from The Pretty […]

The post Cheesy Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Hot Honey. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I’m basically the happiest with this lemon flatbread pizza.

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

At least, as happy as I can be right now. Let’s just say that crunchy flatbread, lots of cheese and bright, fresh lemon definitely helps.

lemon zest

I love a good flatbread pizza! From this old school four cheese version to the roasted cauliflower one from The Pretty Dish, it’s a great option to have when you’re either out of yeast (hi, me!) or just feel like mixing up a super quick dough. It’s more cracker-like that regular pizza dough, but it’s SO good.

lemon oil

In this case, I’m using the base of my garlic butter naan! So these are essentially naan pizzas. Yes.

Works every time.

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

Here’s how it goes down…

We start by making a quick little lemon oil because that stuff is delish. Brush it all over the dough and it can even be used for drizzling after!

Also going to make some hot honey. You can buy hot honey these days (how cool!), but I’ve been making it since before I could buy it. In fact, I made a hot honey pepperoni pizza a few years ago which first got me reeeeeally hooked on the combo. It’s just fantastic. Sweet heat! 

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

Once your dough is made, the rest is really up to you. I went with some bacon because I didn’t have pepperoni and I don’t like sausage. I also used some leftover roasted broccoli! You could throw on any greens or vegetables you have. You could roast some just for this flatbread or you could use something hanging out in your fridge.

Make sure you verrrry thinnnnly slice a lemon. Like, paper thin! See through! 

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

Next up – CHEESE. I had two (!) containers of burrata cheese in my fridge that were about to go. They’d been hanging out in there since I finished a few photographs for the book back in February and I just didn’t need them. 

Well, now I needed them and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them.

You don’t have to use burrata – use freshly grated mozzarella or provolone or fontina or even parmesan. 

As much as it pains me to say it, this isn’t about the cheese here. Yes, of course, it’s always about the cheese for me. But this is much more about the lemon and the hot honey on top of crunchy dough. And just exactly what you decide to pair with it. 

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

I absolutely LOVE the combo.

The dough edges get crunchy in the oven. The lemon oil is bright almost slightly sweet. Then you have cheese and vegetables and a big old drizzle of hot honey, which is spicy and sweet. The flavor combination is out of this world! 

I can’t stress this enough: use what you have on hand! Any veggies work here – truly, almost anything works with cheese and lemon and honey. And bacon. 

Then you can be the happiest too.

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

Cheesy Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Hot Honey

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Cheesy Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Hot Honey

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4 flatbreads
Author How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

flatbread

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • ½ cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon honey

toppings

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 8-ounce ball burrata cheese
  • 1 cup roasted broccoli, or your favorite vegetable! roasted, leftover, etc
  • 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
  • hot honey, for drizzling
  • 1 handful micro greens or your favorite green, for topping
  • parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt and honey. Add half of the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough starts to come together. Add the remaining milk gradually, stirring and bringing the dough together with your hands.
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let it sit in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. It won't rise much! But let it rest.
  • While it rests, prep the rest of the ingredients. Whisk together the lemon zest, garlic and olive oil in a bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is just starting to crisp - do not cook until completely crunchy, because you want it to crisp in the oven. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel. Note: you can replace the bacon with pancetta, prosciutto or even sausage. Whatever you have!
  • Grate the cheese and if desired, roast the vegetables. I roast broccoli at 425 for 15 minutes. You can use any vegetables here - or none at all!
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with olive or canola oil.
  • Once the dough has rested, remove it from the bowl and knead it a few times on a floured surface, using a little extra flour if it’s too sticky. Divide the dough into 4 separate balls. Roll each ball out into an oval shape. Place 2 of the ovals on a baking sheet (that is most likely all that will fit.).
  • Brush the dough with the lemon olive - especially the edges so they get golden and crisp. Cover it with the cheese - freshly grated or burrata or whatever you’re using! Top with any vegetables that you’re using and some very thin lemon slices.
  • Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is crisp and the cheese is golden. Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with hot honey. Slice and serve!

This cheesy lemon flatbread pizza is covered with burrata cheese, parmesan, roasted vegetables and hot honey. It's a flavor dream!

That golden, crunchy bubbly cheese on the end… omg.

The post Cheesy Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Hot Honey. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

No-Yeast Pizza Dough

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 […]

The post No-Yeast Pizza Dough appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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!

Homemade Pizza Dough with No Yeast

Overhead view of a rectangular pepperoni pizza with the corner piece being pulled out.

What is No Yeast Pizza Dough Like?

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.

How Does No Yeast Pizza Dough Rise?

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!

Should I Hand Stretch or Roll Out the Dough?

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!

What Kind of Pan Should I Use?

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). 

A hand lifting one slice of pepperoni pizza out of the side, with cheese pulling between slices.

Want some pizza topping ideas? Try my White Pizza with Parsley Pesto Drizzle, Eggs Florentine Breakfast Pizza, or Garlicky Kale and Ricotta Pizza.

 
The corner piece being pulled out from a rectangular pepperoni pizza
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No-Yeast Pizza Dough

This quick and easy no-yeast pizza dough only takes 15 minutes to make and is a great substitute for the classic when ingredients are in short supply.
Total Cost $0.92 recipe / $0.23 serving
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 ¼ pizza
Calories 252.2kcal
Author Beth - Budget Bytes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour $0.61
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder $0.12
  • 3/4 tsp salt $0.03
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16
  • 1 cup water $0.00

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the olive oil to the water, then pour them both into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until a shaggy ball of dough forms and no more dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl. If the dough does not come together in one piece or there is still dry flour in the bowl, add a small amount of 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, or until the dough feels evenly mixed (no hard or dry pieces). Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes to relax the gluten.
  • Stretch or roll the dough out into your desired shape, making sure not to stretch it to less than ¼-inch thick.
  • Place the dough on your preferred pan (prepared with either parchment or a good dusting of cornmeal or flour), then top the pizza with your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top. Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

*Prices and nutrition data for the pizza crust only.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25pizza | Calories: 252.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3.5g | Sodium: 652.5mg | Fiber: 1g

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Inside look at a piece of no yeast pizza crust

I thought you might like an inside look at the texture of this no-yeast pizza!

How to Make Pizza Dough Without Yeast – Step by Step Photos

Pizza dough dry ingredients in a bowl

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.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to 1 cup water, then pour them into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Shaggy pizza dough in the bowl with a spoon.

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.

Resting pizza dough

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.

Dough being rolled out with a rolling pin

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.

Pizza dough on sheet pan lined with parchment paper

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)

Uncooked pizza with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni

Add your preferred sauce and toppings (Homemade Pizza Sauce, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper in photo above).

Baked pepperoni pizza on sheet pan

Bake your pizza for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top.

Piece of pepperoni pizza being pulled out the side of the pizza

Slice and serve immediately! ???

The post No-Yeast Pizza Dough appeared first on Budget Bytes.