The Best Alternatives For Yeast When Making Pizza Dough

Say you're planning a pizza night, but when you open your cupboard, you find that your yeast is past its prime — a common bread-making mistake. What else can you use to help your dough rise? We asked Tony Gemignani, the 13-time World Pizza Champion and chef-owner of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, who told us there are two options, though he really only recommends one.

Gemignani says, "My favorite alternative to yeast in pizza dough is a sourdough starter, which can use natural airborne yeast instead of what you would buy at the grocery store." If you happen to have some sourdough starter on hand, you can use your kitchen scale to figure out how much to add. The guideline is around 20% of the flour's weight, so if you are using 500 grams of flour, you'll want 100 grams of starter. You can also subtract a little flour and water from the recipe since they're already in the starter. It may take quite a bit longer for a sourdough crust to rise, but the resulting crust will be tangy, chewy, and delicious, giving your pizza a more complex flavor.

But wait, you may say, can't I just use baking powder? You can, but it's not preferable, according to Gemignani. He says, "It will change the texture of your dough, making it much denser than it would be if using yeast." While it's ideal for sweet treats like fluffy brownies, baking powder tends to create a cakey texture. That may be great for brownies, but with pizza dough, you're looking for a chewy, airy bite instead. 

If you're still stuck without yeast or sourdough starter, you could always make a thin, unrisen crust instead. You'll end up with a crispy, cracker-like base that's a bit of a departure from the usual, but it might do in a pinch. Of course, you could also buy pre-made dough or crusts from the grocery store, using a few tricks to elevate the experience. Or hold off until your yeast or sourdough starter are replenished, picking up the phone to order delivery and leaving pizza night to the experts instead.