No-Yeast Flatbread – Recipe!

Traditionally flatbread or pizza is made with either fresh yeast, dried yeast, or a sourdough starter, but I thought it would be fun to experiment with making dough with just baking powder as the leavener.  During the beginning of this pandemic there were hundreds of people reporting that grocery stores were out of dried yeast, and almost in a panic to get their hands on some.  I think the yeast shortage has been rectified, but you never know how things are going to pan out in the months ahead.  I wanted to reassure everyone that there are other ways of creating a flavorful dough that’s not only easy, but only requires a few ingredients that you probably have in your pantry for baking.

Pizza or flatbreads are something most families enjoy and find useful in their weekly meal plans.  What I find most exciting about flatbreads, is the ability to load them with almost any ingredients you have leftover in your refrigerator, like those meatballs from my Moroccan Meatballs recipe this past Sunday.  Roasted vegetables, sautéed onions, diced tomatoes, and a chunk of mozzarella are just a few other items that when put together, make a great flatbread.  I’ll leave the toppings up to you, but as far as the crust, it’s the foundation of every great pizza.

This recipe is only flour, baking powder, honey, salt and water.  It’s not much different than a yeasted dough, except you don’t have to let it rise or hours and pamper it in any special way.  The dough comes together easily in a stand mixer or by-hand in a bowl and shaped into two balls.  You can let it hang out for a few minutes, and then feel free to stretch it into any shape you desire.  The best cooking vessel for this flatbread is an oiled sheet pan, which conducts enough heat to create a crispy crust.  My flatbread is topped with leftovers that I had in my refrigerator, and one last tip – don’t overload your pizza with too many things, or it can get heavy, and the crust won’t crisp enough.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup lukewarm water

toppings for flatbread

oil for baking

(Makes 2 Flatbreads)

To Prepare:

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flour, honey, baking powder, salt and water.  Mix on low speed with paddle attachment until dough comes together.
2. Remove dough from bowl and knead a few times.  Cut into two balls and form into rounds.  Let rest in bowl, or on counter top for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Stretch dough into large round or rectangle and place on greased sheet pan.  Brush with oil and top with favorite toppings.
4. Bake flatbread for 12-14 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toppings are bubbling.  Remove and repeat with second ball of dough.  Enjoy!