Super Quick No Yeast Crispy Chewy Pizza Crust!

When I crave pizza, I usually think about how long it'll take to make the dough, then end up making something else.  This flavorful dough takes no time at all to make (no resting required), and contains no yeast.  When baked correctly, it's crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside- just like what a good pizza crust should be.  If you don't have a pizza stone or special pan, no worries- this method will make you a pizza hero!

Here's the recipe.  Take special note to the method (or spinz), as it will mean the difference between a tough soggy dough, and the one shown above!


Makes two large crusts
Ingredients:


2 3/4 C. white spelt flour 
2 C. all purpose flour (or you can use your own preferred mix of flours)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 C. nutritional yeast
2 T. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil (or Italian seasonings)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 C. water


Spinz:
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix up everything except water in a large bowl.  Add water, and mix and knead into a smooth elastic dough.  If it's too sticky, add a little flour.  If it's too dry, add a little water.  Divide into two equal dough balls.  Flour your work surface generously with flour, and sprinkle some onto your dough.  Roll it out until thin, then fold up the dough 3-4 times (this adds layers, much like a puff pastry).  Dust with more flour as needed, then roll out again until very thin.  Transfer dough to a prepared baking pan (I sprayed mine with oil to keep from sticking and sprinkled some corn meal).  Poke the dough with a fork evenly throughout the dough and brush with a little olive oil.  Place pan on center rack, and turn the oven to broil.  This will only take a few minutes (depending on your oven), and you should watch it closely so it doesn't burn.  Ideally, it should look bubbly and slightly browned (maybe even more than shown below).  The dough should be cooked through and stiff, but not crisp.  

Take out of oven and flip the crust over. Add a thin layer of sauce and toppings.  Don't pile on too much or it will be too heavy for the crust.  The crust should have cooled down enough to handle by now, so lift it out of the pan with a large spatula and hands and quickly transfer directly to your oven rack.  Broil the pizza until cheese is bubbling, and the edges are golden.  Again, keep a close watch on it, as it should only take a few minutes.


If you have a pizza stone, or one of those perforated pizza pans, then by all means use it.  I would recommend sliding the dough onto one of these hot surfaces for best results, and you probably won't need to flip it.  


Also check the bottom of the pizza- it should sound crispy when you tap it.

Black Bean & Veggie Pizza

My housemate Mark, who is mostly vegan and used to own a couple of restaurants, came up with this quick recipe. We were all pretty hungry and so naturally, it was time to raid the fridge and cupboards for a "quick fix"... but what to make? Well, we had a can of Pillsbury pizza dough, assorted veggies, and some canned black beans, and voila! Dinner. I like how this man thinks!

Ingredients:

1 (15oz.) can black beans
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
Eggplant, thinly sliced
Red pepper, thinly sliced
onion, thinly sliced
tomatoes, cubed
Sprinkle of vegan shredded cheese
1 can of Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough
veggie meat (chicken style)

Spinz:

Roll out the dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Pre-bake the dough for about 3 minutes at 400 degrees. Whiz together black beans (drained), garlic, salt, cumin, white pepper, and olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Spread this evenly onto the crust, then layer the eggplant, red peppers, onions, tomatoes, veg cheese, and mock meat. The eggplant layered over the beans will keep them from drying out too much during baking. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden and bubbly. Drizzle with hot sauce of choice (if you like), or top with guacamole.

























Here are what I like to call, "The Wild Turkeys of Davis." Although the land surrounding Davis is used for agriculture, we city folk don't consider ourselves to be a farm community at all! So why is there a band of wild free-roaming turkeys loitering on our front lawns and city parking lots? ... I like to think that they are refugees from the local turkey farms and have narrowly escaped the holidays, unscathed! Can't you just hear "Born to Be Wild" in the background?