One of
the things I missed the most when I had to give up gluten and dairy was
pizza. Previously, Greg and I
would have pizza of some kind every Sunday evening. Thin and crispy, taco, Chicago style, Pizza Hut or Chef
Boyardee, it didn't matter as long as it was chewy and covered in gooey
cheese. About eight months into my
new way of eating, I was finally feeling great. Pleased with my progress, I talked my doctor into letting me
have "real" pizza for my birthday. A week after my feeding frenzy, I had to call my doctor
because I was as sick as I ever remembered being. A month later I was still sick and regretting every
bite. When I asked my doctor why
he let me do it, he said it was the only way I would believe just how bad my
allergies really were. In his
defense, he tried to talk me out of it but could see I was determined to give
it a try. If you know me, then you
know that he was fighting a losing battle. Usually, once I make up my mind about something it's as good
as done!
Thankfully
I learned my lesson and have cheated very few times since then. However, I still missed pizza! I tried to make gluten and dairy free
versions but for many years, cheese alternatives tasted like rubber and gluten
free crusts were more like eating crunchy bread sticks. I finally gave up and relegated myself
to a pizza-less life. That
is until my gluten free baking accomplice introduced me to a crust recipe that
was chewy and delicious. She was
kind enough to share her recipe with me so that I can share it with you. The shortening gives it the fat it
needs for a thick crust that you can really sink your teeth into. Cheese alternatives have come a long way
too. My personal favorite is a
mozzarella style shred by a company called Daiya. Now when I want pizza, I stop by Cascio's for my gluten free
flour, fresh mushrooms, basil and spinach and head home to whip up my old (new)
favorite!
I'm
including two different crust recipes that I've had great success with, give
them both a try to see which works best for you.
Gluten
Free Pizza Crust 1
Ingredients:
2 cups
tapioca flour/starch
1 cup
sorghum flour
1/2 cup
brown rice flour
1/2 cup
GF millet flour
(or 4
cups of the gluten free flour mix of your choice)
3
teaspoons baking powder
2
teaspoons xanthan gum
1
teaspoon fine sea salt
3
tablespoons organic light brown sugar
1 1/4 cup
warm water (between 110 - 115ºF)
1
teaspoon organic light brown sugar
1 packet
(1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup
good olive oil
1/4 cup
beaten organic free-range egg whites (or egg replacer for two eggs)
1/4
teaspoon light tasting rice vinegar
Instructions:
Grease
two 12-inch pizza pans and dust lightly with gluten-free flour. Set aside.
In a
large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and dry ingredients.
Proof the
yeast in 1 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar.
Add the
proofed yeast to the dry ingredients. Add the oil, eggs and vinegar.
Beat the
dough until smooth and sticky. The pizza dough should be creamy smooth and not
too thick- it's not sturdy like typical bread dough. It almost borders on
batter.
Using a
silicone spatula divide the dough in half. Scoop each half onto the center of a
prepared pizza pan. Using clean, wet hands press down lightly and flatten the
dough to create a thin, even pizza shell, with slightly raised edges. You'll
have to rinse your hands more than once to do this. Take your time to smooth
out the dough with wet palms.
Set the
pizza shells in a warm spot to rest and rise- about 15 minutes.
Preheat
the oven to 400ºF.
When the
oven is hot, place the two pizza pans side by side on the center rack (if your
oven is too small to accommodate both pans on one rack, you'll need to use two
racks; rotate the pans half way through baking time to avoid overcooking on the
lower rack).
Bake for
ten minutes till golden.
Remove
from the oven. Preheat the broiler.
Brush the
pizza shell with extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and fresh garlic.
Sprinkle with Italian herbs.
Top with
your choice of fresh vegetables and herbs.
Broil 4
to 5 minutes until cheese is nice and bubbly.
Tip: If you use a different mixture of
gluten free flours than listed above, I've found that you may have to add more
water to the mix so that it mixes totally together and is smooth and sticky.
Gluten
Free Pizza Crust 2
2c rice
flour
2c
tapioca flour (these first two ingredients are those I substituted 'better
batter" for)
2/3c dry
milk powder or nondairy substitute (almond meal works here)
3-1/2t
xanthan gum (not needed if better batter is used)
1t salt
2 t pizza
seasonings (optional)
2T dry
yeast granules
1c
lukewarm water (105-115 degrees)
1T sugar
3T
shortening
1/2c hot
water
4 egg
whites at room temperature
1. In a
bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, put flours, milk powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
2.
Meanwhile dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water with the tablespoon of sugar
added.
3. Melt
the shortening in the hot water.
With the
mixer on low, blend the dry ingredients, adding the seasoning if desired. Pour
in the hot water and shortening, blending to mix. Add the egg whits, blend
again, then add the yeast mixture. Beat on high speed for 4 minutes. *note, I usually mix by
hand until the texture resembles a more moist traditional pizza dough.
Spoon
half the dough onto a greased cookie sheet or round pizza tin. With your hand in a plastic
bag (or with a moistened soup spoon) spread the dough out in a circle a bout
1/4" thick except at the edges. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
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