
With more and more people identifying gluten as a food intolerance, or just choosing to reduce and eliminate gluten in their diet, gluten free recipes are becoming ever more popular. I have finally figured out a gluten free pizza crust that is fairly simple and tastes great -so great you might be able to fool your gluten eating friends!
This recipe is also great because you can bake the pizza crust ahead of time and freeze for later use.
Don't fear that something is wrong when you make this dough and it is too sticky to handle. Simply spread it out on the parchment paper (see picture) and be prepared to be amazed as it cooks and separates from the paper!
For toppings, I am usually fairly experimental. I often mix things up and use olive oil, roasted garlic with olive oil, or pesto as my sauce. If you are dairy free, go cheese-less since the crust is already dairy free! Instead brush the toppings with olive oil to prevent them from drying out too much.
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (makes 2-12 inch crusts)
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water (should be between 105°F and 115° F on a candy thermometer)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tsp. honey
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3 1/2 Tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Pizza sauce and toppings
Special equipment
Special equipment: heavy baking sheet, pizza stone, or baking peel, parchment paper.
Make pizza crust
Mix together tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch), brown rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, and salt, set aside.
Mix warm water and honey together, add yeast and give it a quick stir.
Beat two egg whites lightly in a bowl. Add 2 TBsp. olive oil.
Add water/honey/yeast mixture, and egg white/oil mixture to the dry ingredients all at once. Beat either with paddle attachment of stand mixer, or with a wooden spoon and arm power, until the dough is very smooth and thick, 3-4 minutes.
Set pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven, and preheat to 400°F. (Preheat at least 45 minutes if using pizza stone or 20 minutes if using baking sheet.)
Have ready two 12-inch squares of parchment paper. Scrape half of dough onto each square and form each half into a ball (if possible). Coat each ball with 2 teaspoons oil, then use oiled fingertips to pat and stretch each ball into 9-inch-diameter round, 1/4 inch thick, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. Or smear dough out with a combo of spoon/spatula and hands until it is the dimensions listed above (see picture). Let rise in a warm draft-free place until each pizza has swelled slightly, about 20 minutes.
Carefully transfer pizza dough on the parchment paper onto preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. If you have a 'baking peel', you can use it for the transfer! Bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove pizza shell from the oven and discard the parchment paper (it should have risen off of the parchment by this time).Transfer baked crust to a cooling rack. Bake second crust in same manner. (Baked crusts can be made ahead and frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 month. Thaw in 350°F oven until hot, 4 to 5 minutes, before topping and broiling.)
Top each pizza with desired sauce and toppings. Return to the oven either on a pan, or directly onto the oven rack if you feel the crust is sturdy enough! Bake until crust is golden brown and toppings are done!
Enjoy!
This recipe is also great because you can bake the pizza crust ahead of time and freeze for later use.
Don't fear that something is wrong when you make this dough and it is too sticky to handle. Simply spread it out on the parchment paper (see picture) and be prepared to be amazed as it cooks and separates from the paper!
For toppings, I am usually fairly experimental. I often mix things up and use olive oil, roasted garlic with olive oil, or pesto as my sauce. If you are dairy free, go cheese-less since the crust is already dairy free! Instead brush the toppings with olive oil to prevent them from drying out too much.
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (makes 2-12 inch crusts)
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water (should be between 105°F and 115° F on a candy thermometer)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tsp. honey
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3 1/2 Tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Pizza sauce and toppings
Special equipment
Special equipment: heavy baking sheet, pizza stone, or baking peel, parchment paper.
Make pizza crust
Mix together tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch), brown rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, and salt, set aside.
Mix warm water and honey together, add yeast and give it a quick stir.
Beat two egg whites lightly in a bowl. Add 2 TBsp. olive oil.
Add water/honey/yeast mixture, and egg white/oil mixture to the dry ingredients all at once. Beat either with paddle attachment of stand mixer, or with a wooden spoon and arm power, until the dough is very smooth and thick, 3-4 minutes.
Set pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven, and preheat to 400°F. (Preheat at least 45 minutes if using pizza stone or 20 minutes if using baking sheet.)
Have ready two 12-inch squares of parchment paper. Scrape half of dough onto each square and form each half into a ball (if possible). Coat each ball with 2 teaspoons oil, then use oiled fingertips to pat and stretch each ball into 9-inch-diameter round, 1/4 inch thick, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. Or smear dough out with a combo of spoon/spatula and hands until it is the dimensions listed above (see picture). Let rise in a warm draft-free place until each pizza has swelled slightly, about 20 minutes.
Carefully transfer pizza dough on the parchment paper onto preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. If you have a 'baking peel', you can use it for the transfer! Bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove pizza shell from the oven and discard the parchment paper (it should have risen off of the parchment by this time).Transfer baked crust to a cooling rack. Bake second crust in same manner. (Baked crusts can be made ahead and frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 month. Thaw in 350°F oven until hot, 4 to 5 minutes, before topping and broiling.)
Top each pizza with desired sauce and toppings. Return to the oven either on a pan, or directly onto the oven rack if you feel the crust is sturdy enough! Bake until crust is golden brown and toppings are done!
Enjoy!