Quick Yeast-free Pizza

Serves 4

I love making pizza but rarely have the time to spend making yeast dough so here is a quick option for making pizza at home. This is more like a scone base so doesn't need to be kneaded much just enough to bring it together.

When I was traveling and working as a chef I often worked in gourmet pizza cafes. I want to share with you an inside knowledge ‘pizza tip' I picked up during this time. The trick to stopping all the pizza toppings sliding off when you take your first bite is to sprinkle most (about 3/4) of the grated cheese over the tomato sauce base, then cover with toppings and finish with a sprinkling of cheese (about 1/4). When cooked, the cheese melts and works like a glue to hold everything together. Give it a try!

Prep time: 20-30 minutes (depending on toppings)
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • handful grated parmesan (optional)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup water or milk

Preheat oven 200°C.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and parmesan in a large bowl and make a well.

Pour in the olive oil and water. Mix with a spoon or your hands until the dough comes together. Tip onto a bench and knead briefly adding extra flour if needed to create a smooth dough.

On a floured surface roll out into a large 5mm thick pizza base or into several small bases. Place on a baking tray or hot pizza stone. Brush with olive oil, spread with red tomato sauce and scatter with grated cheese. Add toppings to your liking and bake for 15-20 minutes until the base is crispy and cheese is melted.

Pizza toppings

  • tomato sauce, pesto
  • grated cheese - edam or mozzarella are best
  • pineapple, mushroom, capsicum, grated zucchini or carrot
  • feta, blue cheese, brie
  • cooked veges - broccoli, spinach, roast pumpkin
  • ham, salmon, tuna, salami, bacon, chicken
  • chopped fresh herbs
 

Substitute 1/2 the flour quantity with different flours such as whole meal, rice, cornmeal or buckwheat. Note: Water quantity may need to be adjusted as they absorb more water especially corn and whole meal flour because of their high fibre content.

*Gluten-free - use gluten free flour mix.