2012_10_08-yeastfreedough-1.jpgMy future mother-in-law is allergic to yeast. I'm talking full-on, debilitating allergic, which totally sucks, because before she developed the allergy she really, really liked bread. And being a huge space cadet, I am always shoving a new yeast-laden recipe I developed into her face (yes, even Irish car bomb cupcakes are guilty, too), which she always so gracefully declines, while I stand there wanting to smack myself for forgetting for the umpteeth time.

2012_10_08-yeastfreedough-2.jpgSo you can imagine my surprise while dining together one night—just the two of us—as I watched her willingly take a bite of a pizza the chef sent to us. I admit, the pizza was a thing of beauty: a wood-fired sourdough crust piled with ripe figs, blue cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and a balsamic vinegar glaze. She turned to me and said, "it's too perfect not to try. It's worth every ounce of sickness that comes my way."

I felt honored to share that moment with her, if only because I knew it was not only rare, but maybe the only time she willingly ate something with yeast; something strictly for pleasure knowing later it would only cause her pain. That, my friends, is for the love of food. A love we both share deeply.

Needless to say, developing a yeast-free pizza dough has been on my to-do list ever since that very night. After whipping up this beyond easy recipe, now I am only wondering what took me so long. Gone are the days of "pizza waffles" and "pizza tortillas"; she can finally enjoy the same pizzas as the rest of us. Even if you aren't allergic to yeast, give this recipe a try. It's great if you're crunched for time, or just plain terrified of yeast. I'm not going to swear up and down that it's just as good as delivery, but it's pretty darn close. This one's for you, Tina!

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Yeast-free Pizza Dough

Makes 1 large pizza or 2 individual pizzas

2 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lily)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup water plus additional as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk self-rising flour, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder together until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine water, olive oil, and honey. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until a cohesive ball forms, adding more water a tablespoon at a time if necessary. (The dough should be moist and firm but not sticky.)

Form the dough into a rounded disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to form a perfect circle. Transfer the dough to the hot pizza stone and cook in the oven for 2 minutes.

Remove the dough from the oven. Top with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, and additional toppings as desired. Cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is very crisp, another 7-10 minutes. (For the pizza shown, I added the arugula and prosciutto after it came out of the oven.) Cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

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Related: Whoa! Pizza Dough with Just 2 Ingredients

(Images: Nealey Dozier)

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