Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
When people get diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, they naturally think of all the foods they will no longer be able to easily eat. Pizza is arguably at the top of the list. Statistics show that over 90 percent of Americans have eaten a pizza at least once at some point in the past month.
National Pizza Month is celebrated in America in October, and in honor of those who can't have gluten, here is a recipe for a gluten-free pizza crust that is both crispy on the bottom and chewy in the middle. While it uses a lot of specialty ingredients, many people who are unable to consume gluten already have many, if not most, of these ingredients in their pantry.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- ¾ cup white rice flour
- ¼ cup garbanzo bean flour, sometimes labeled chickpea flour or gram
- ¼ cup sorghum flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon xanthum gum
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup water
- 1 ¼ ounce package dry active yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cornmeal
Instructions:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the tapioca flour, white rice flour, garbanzo bean flour, sorghum flour, xanthum gum, and sea salt.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and water until just warm to the touch, but not hot as that would kill the yeast. If you have a kitchen thermometer, the temperature should read between 110-115 F degrees. Remove the sauce pan and stir in the packet of yeast. Add the yeast and milk mixture to the flour mixture in the mixing bowl. Crack the egg in a small dish and lightly beat before adding to the bowl. Lastly, add the olive oil.
Using a wooden spoon, stir the dough well, being sure to thoroughly incorporate all of the ingredients. Let the dough rest for five minutes while you prepare two 12-inch pizza pans by lightly coating each pan with olive oil and then sprinkling with cornmeal.
Form the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Gently knead the dough for five minutes and then divide into two equal balls. Press each ball onto the pizza pans, create a ½ raised border all around. Cover each pan lightly with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees, and prepare your pizza sauce and toppings of your choice. Be careful to read the ingredients on any prepared meats or cheese to ensure they are gluten-free.
When the 20 minutes are up, bake each pizza crust separately for seven minutes or until it is puffy and slightly browned. Remove from the oven, sauce, and add your desired toppings. Return to the oven for another seven minutes, lowering the heat to 350 F degrees.
If this sounds like too much work for you, check with your favorite local pizzeria, such as Original Italian Pizza Pa. As gluten-free products become more popular, many restaurants are now incorporating them on their menu.
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