2-Ingredient Dough Recipe (& 3 Ways to Use It) | The Leaf (2024)

Article posted in: Experts’ Corner

Although bagels, pretzels and pizza may not sound like the healthiest food options, how they’re prepared can make all the difference. This super simple and popular 2-ingredient dough recipe can help you re-create these favorites to better align with your health goals.

What is 2-Ingredient Dough?

Two-ingredient dough combines Greek yogurt with self-rising flour to create a chewy, delicious dough for making homemade pizza, bagels, soft pretzels, dinner rolls, pita bread and more. This dough stands out because it’s:

• Easy and quick. You don’t need to let the dough rise since it doesn’t use yeast.
• Higher in protein than store-bought doughs.
• Highly versatile, giving you more control over what’s on your plate.
• Made without the additives and preservatives commonly found in store-bought doughs.

Sound too good to be true? Not this time. Two-ingredient dough is a game-changer based on solid food science. The acid in yogurt works its magic, breaking down the gluten in the flour to give you a soft, pliable dough in just minutes.

When choosing yogurt, plain Greek yogurt is the best option. While any fat content will do, nonfat is the healthiest choice.

To keep things as simple as possible, use self-rising flour, a pre-mixed blend of flour, baking soda and salt that streamlines the process. But if this isn’t available, you can make your own by mixing 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.

The end result is a delightful combination of fluffy and chewy with a subtle tangy flavor. Plus, adding seasonings like salt, cinnamon and garlic powder provides endless flavor opportunities.

So whether you’re trying to cook more at home or are looking for Flex meal inspiration, you’ll want this dough recipe in your back pocket.

How to Make 2-Ingredient Dough

Basic Process:

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 ⅓ cup of self-rising flour with 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt. Mix with a spoon until combined.
• With slightly wet hands, continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and stretchy.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface to divide and form it into the shape you want for your recipe.

Tips and Tricks:

• If the dough is too sticky to handle, you may need to add more flour. Start with 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is manageable.

Nutrition Information:

This recipe will make four servings. Each serving contains 163 calories and counts as 1 SmartCarb and 1 PowerFuel. (It’s got a whopping 9 grams of protein!)

3 Delicious Dietitian-Approved Ways to Use 2-Ingredient Dough

Homemade Pizza

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Roll dough into 1 large pizza crust shape (or 4 small individual pizzas).
• Transfer the dough to a baking sheet greased with calorie-free cooking spray.
• Lightly coat the dough with cooking spray and season with garlic powder (optional).
• Pre-bake the dough in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and add desired pizza toppings.
• Continue baking until the crust is golden brown.

Try This: Top your pizza with tomato sauce, 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese, 8 ounces of cooked turkey bacon, spinach and diced tomatoes. One-fourth of this recipe will provide 1 SmartCarb, 3 PowerFuels and some non-starchy veggies.

Fresh Bagels

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Divide the dough into four equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten into a bagel shape and create a whole in the middle.
• Transfer the dough to a baking sheet greased with calorie-free cooking spray.
• Lightly coat each bagel with cooking spray and season with everything seasoning, sesame seeds, cinnamon, poppy seeds or any combination of toppings.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden around the edges.

Try This: Slice one bagel and top with ¼ cup of ricotta cheese and a drizzle of honey – counts as 1 SmartCarb, 2 PowerFuels and 1 Extra.

Mini Pretzel Bites

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Divide the dough into four equal sections and roll each into a long rope. Cut the rope into bite-sized pieces.
• In a separate bowl, dissolve the ¼ cup of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water.
• Dip each dough bite into the baking soda solution and place on a baking sheet greased with calorie-free cooking spray.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Try This: Sprinkle pretzels with cinnamon and stevia as an alternative to salt. One serving will be about eight pretzel bites and count as 1 SmartCarb and 1 PowerFuel.

Healthy Pita Bread

• Preheat a frying pan sprayed with calorie-free cooking spray on a stovetop over medium heat.
• Divide the dough into four equal sections. Using your hands, flatten and spread each section into the shape of pita bread.
• Place each piece in the frying pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side until the dough is golden brown.
• Let cool, fold in half and fill with your favorite sandwich ingredients.

Try This: Spread 1 pita with 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat cream cheese, then layer with sweet peppers, 2 ounces of turkey lunch meat, arugula, salt and pepper. Fold in half and enjoy. One pita sandwich counts as 1 SmartCarb, 2 PowerFuels, 2 Extras and non starchy veggies.

Refer to the Nutrisystem Grocery Guide when creating your own recipes using this 2-ingredient bread recipe!