I have been baking unleavened bread a few months now, anytime I've been wanting a little bread in my life. I came across the recipe because I didn't want to bother with yeast for 2 reasons:

1.) It's COMPLICATED and fickle and takes a long time, it's not easy to get here, etc.
2.) I do not believe baker's yeast to be beneficial for health.
Lots of people have issues with yeast infections/ candida (especially in the summer). While I do not believe that baker's yeast causes these things, I do believe that it encourages yeast overgrowth in your intestines, organs, and bloodstream. Yeast overgrowth causes a wide variety of symptoms that don't show them selves in the same way as a typical yeast infection. Some symptoms of a yeast overgrowth include:
Headaches                                  Autism & Learning Disorders              Diabetes
Irritability                                     GERD                                              Dizziness
Recurring Infections                     Low Blood Sugar                               Panic/Anxiety Attacks
PMS                                           Depression                                       Numbness
Infertility/sexual disfunction           Obesity/ Metabolic Syndrome            Sleep Issues                      Asthma and allergies                   Cravings for dairy, chocolate, vinegar, alcohol

Obviously there are lots of other reasons for these conditions, but lots of research has been done on the effects of Candida and that research is worth checking out!

If you believe some of your problems are caused by candida, talk to your Natropathic Doctor- there are gentle ways of bringing your intestinal bacteria back in to balance. 
*Always, be leery of a yeast reduction program based on supplements and NOT real food! 
Google "candida" to find out more. Or check out this great website- here.

With all this fuss I have made about yeast, let me say this. I like to eliminate the un-beneficial foods in my diet that are easy to eliminate. For me, yeast is certainly one of those foods. The rest will follow naturally in a progression... health is a journey- enjoy it! 


TO MAKE THE UNLEAVENED BREAD BY ITSELF:

I found a few recipes online that were made with ingredients that were less than optimal, so I made a few changes and I baked the bread my own way.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour (use a better flour if you have it available)
2 TBSP Coconut Nectar
3 TBSP Coconut Oil**
3/4 Cup of water

INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Pour the flour in a big mixing bowl.
2.) Make sure the coconut oil is at room temp (still solid) and "cut it into the flour" much like you would C*****. (The "C" word is a BAD word here at The Empowered Way, we don't say it)
3.) Add in the Coconut Nectar and water. Gently mix with a wooden spoon until combined into a dough ball.
4.) Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet (NOT FOIL) , put the dough on and spread out in to desired shape.

Shown with basil and dried tomatoes added in the mix.

5.) Bake the bread at 350 F (177C) for around 10 minutes.

You will be amazed at the simplicity and deliciousness of this bread!
That is the basic bread recipe. Sometimes I also add in basil, oregano, dried tomatoes, blueberries or dried (soaked) mulberries! YUMMMMM-O!


TO MAKE THE PIZZA
Use the same ingredients and follow steps 1-4 of the bread recipe above.
1.) Lightly sauté or steam any vegetable that you like. In the pictures I have used mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, peppers, spinach and fresh basil.
2.) Put some pizza sauce or pesto on the crust.
3.) Spread the veggies on top of the pizza. Make sure to drain any excess water before adding to the crust.

Shown with a tomato sauce

  

Shown with a pesto sauce

TIP: Use the discarded veggie water in the bread recipe! Nutrients "cook out" of the veggies and become concentrated in the leftover juice. Using this water is good for conserving resources AND gives the bread added flavor and nutrients! Never throw our your veggie broths!

ANOTHER TIP: If you want a fluffier crust, add 3/4 TBSP of baking soda to the dough mix. It will no longer be technically "unleavened" but it will give it a better texture. 

4.) Bake the PIZZA at 400 F (204 C) for roughly 30 minutes. It seems to be different every time I make it. It's difficult to tell when this is done, but when it does not stick to the paper, you know it is finished.

The finished tomato sauce pizza. We ate the pesto one too quick for me to get a picture!

**The Awesomeness of Unleavened Bread**
The great thing about cooking with unleavened dough is that when you bake it, it will not move from where you first lay it down. It will maintain it's lovely shape. It won't get bigger and run in to the breads on the pan (if baking multiple loaves at once).

This recipe will make enough for 4 big slices of pizza! Play around with this recipe and have fun!
Try making fruit pizza... yumm.... I think I will try that tomorrow!

Actually, I made this pizza with our good friends, Chris and Meghan! We had a whole Italian-Jewish themed dinner night! Passover Pizza, Pesach Pasta, and Seder Salad!! It was delicious.

Low-fat, Vegan, Jewish-Italian Dinner! Sorry for the less than great pictures. The dressing shown is Tahini-Lime!

And it was all inspired by LAZINESS and YEAST! Inspiration is EVERYWHERE, people! ;-)

Research. Get Inspired. Share with everyone!

Start living your life "The Empowered Way"!

Shalom Uv'racha!

Meg


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The Ingredients:
** If you cannot find the listed ingredients at your local store, you can find them easily on www.iherb.com! iHerb has great prices and SUPER FAST and cheap shipping all over the world! Use the coupon code YUR005 to get a discount on your first order! How easy is that!?

** Use all oils sparingly. They are 100% concentrated fat! They do not classify as a natural "whole food". With that being said-
Do not substitute ANY other oils for coconut oil in this recipe. Coconut oil is the ONLY suitable oil for high heat cooking. ANY other oil (yes olive oil too) becomes damaged and turns rancid when in contact with heat or light. This results in terrible effects in your body. The exact reasons are very scientific and deal with the molecular structure of the oil itself. This website HERE explains about the dangers of the different types of oils in a simple way. A good book that I recommend on this subject is called "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" by Udo Erasmus. If you are from West Virginia like I am, the book's title rhymes! hehehe

If you simply must use an oil other than coconut oil- The rule of thumb for oil is buy organic, cold pressed oil that is in a dark glass bottle, store it out of direct sunlight, and don't keep it around for years. Use it only on salads or in dishes that don't require heating. I believe this is a very important (yet easy) step forward in health!