There are a lot of recipes around for making healthy doughs while avoiding the ingestion of gluten. But which of these recipes can tell you how to make the best gluten-free pizza dough?
The best gluten-free pizza dough is the one made with the all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. It also contains instant yeast, xanthan gum, granulated sugar to kick-off the yeast, salt, some warm water, and extra-virgin olive oil. It enables you to get that crispy crust everyone loves on great pizzas.
I’m going to mention a few other recipes that are healthy and easy to make, but few top this basic simple recipe. This is also a great way to make a baking chef out of people who never made homemade pizzas.
The Best Gluten-Free Pizza Dough Recipe Is the Simplest One Out There
The recipe I’m about to share should be the base of all your homemade baking and cooking. You’ll perhaps (like I did) mix and experiment with a few different ingredients over time, but trust me when I say this basic recipe works like a charm.
Additionally, one more advantage of this recipe is that you can prepare it up to three days in advance. It also shapes smoothly when taken out right out of the refrigerator.
Prepare Ingredients Before You Get to Mixing and Kneading
This is a dough that you’re going to be mixing with a standard mixer, on which you’ll add a paddle attachment. Take 3 cups of an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, and add some more for sprinkling. If your blend already contains xanthan gum, skip it, but if not, add 2 ¼ teaspoons of it.
You’ll also need 1 tablespoon of instant yeast, 1 ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ of sugar (granulated). Prepare more than a cup of warm water (1 ⅛ to be precise) and 4.5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Take Notes on How to Mix Ingredients and Make It Perfect
You’ll use the bowl of your mixer to mix all the ingredients properly. Mix flour, xanthan gum (or Expandex), yeast, sugar to set off the yeast, and then whisk. Once you’ve added the salt, whisk again. After adding water and olive oil, put your mixer on medium speed until you see it’s blended well together.
You should then switch up to high speed until you can see that the dough appears whipped. The next step is to transfer it to an oiled container and close it with a tight-fitting lid. If you leave it in a warm area, after an hour, it should rise to about 150% of its original volume.
How to Make a Crust Perfectly Crispy
Preheat the oven and the baking stone (or perhaps a rimmed baking sheet) to 400°F. If you’re pulling your dough out of the refrigerator, you should work with it straight away. If it was left in a warm area to rise, refrigerate it for at least fifteen minutes. Place it on a floured surface and knead it until you get a smooth texture, divide it into two equal portions, and cover the one you’re not going to use.
Now it’s time to roll the other portion with a rolling pin. Move it several times while rolling to avoid sticking. You should be able to create a smooth edge by pressing in with your palms. After you get it just right, it’s time to transfer it into the oven.
Instructions to Bake a Crispy Crust in the Oven the Right Way
The best way to bake a perfectly crispy crust in the oven that’s also soft on the inside is to use a baking stone. These are specialized ceramic stones, heavy-duty, made to be used in an oven or a grill. It imitates one of the oldest known cooking methods (hot stone cooking), and they absorb additional moisture, so you get much crispier food.
A Cookie Tray Can Be a Great Hack if You Don’t Have a Stone
Your glutenless pizzas won’t get as crispy if you don’t have a stone, but I’ve tried this hack, and it definitely turned out nicely. The trick is to preheat the tray in the oven (freely do it at 500°F) for a couple of minutes, sprinkle some olive oil on it, and place your pizza.
You won’t get the perfect crisp, but it will get you a nice final result. Another hack is to use a cast-iron skillet and turn it upside down. You can then preheat it and use its bottom to bake near-perfect pizzas.
It will give your crust that crunch you’re looking for. You can also leave it in the oven and use it as many times as you like. And also cook a million different things on it.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment With Cauliflower
You can level up your gluten-free game and put an overly healthy spin on your pizzas by using a really versatile vegetable – cauliflower. With just a handful of ingredients, you can prepare a healthy and crunchy meal in no time. Especially since cauliflower crust has no rising time but is ready as soon as you blend in all the ingredients.
| 2 cups | Cauliflower rice |
| ¼ cup | Sliced and chopped yellow onion |
| 3 cloves | Garlic, although if you love garlic, there’s no limit to it |
| 2 | Larger eggs that should be lightly beaten |
| 1 cup | Almond meal |
| ¼ teaspoon | Black pepper, best if it’s freshly ground |
| ½ teaspoon | Salt |
| Toppings | Anything you could think of that goes well on pizzas |
Prepare Your Cauliflower in a Jiffy
If you’ve never made cauliflower rice before, you’ll be delighted to know that it takes only about 15 minutes to get it done. Grab a large cauliflower head, wash it and dry it thoroughly.
If you’re going to use a box grater instead of a food processor, cut the head into larger chunks and grate them through the medium-sized holes. Use a pan and 1 tablespoon of oil to saute it, and it’s done! It’s best to use it right away, store it in the fridge for up to five days, or simply freeze it.
Best Gluten-Free Pizza Dough Goes Well With Dairy-Free and Vegan Toppings
We all love pizzas, but what if I tell you that you can go a step further from striving to bake a glutenless crust to creating mouth-watering slices of heaven. Here are my top picks:
- My all-time favorite is the Caprese pizza, and it’s a complete meal done in a bit more than 30 minutes. What makes this pizza so special is a fair amount of garlic, fresh tomatoes, some balsamic glaze, cashew mozzarella (which can also be made at home), and fresh basil for the perfect Italian-like flavor.
- If you think that deep dish pizzas are only reserved for non-vegan options, you’re wrong. Saucy deep-dish pizzas can be vegan, too, and create one quick yet nutritious and tasty meal. It’s created with a layer of vegan mozzarella, with a rich layer of sauce over it. A match made in heaven is, when you combine red bell peppers and garlicky greens, with some more sauce and mozzarella over it. Also, be generous with basil leaves.
- If you love spinach and are fond of artichokes, you’ll be delighted to know that these two combine fantastically. You’ve probably already used them to create the ultimate comfort food – spinach artichoke dip, and if you know how to make one, just place it on top of your dough and place it in the oven.
Mix Your Own Blend of Flour for the Perfect Crust
If you’re wondering what else could make your glutenless baking flawless, it’s your own personal flour blend. You’ll need two different types of gluten-free flour and some tapioca starch.
The perfect mix should contain 1 cup of white rice flour and ¾ brown rice flour, combined with ¼ tapioca starch. It should work like a charm, and you can easily mix and add if you need more.
There Are Many Glutenless Pizza Recipes Out There, but You’ll Always Return to the Simplest
Having a perfect recipe for a pizza is like giving yourself a night off – especially if you’ve pre-made it and placed it into the refrigerator. It’s simple, easy, and really quick to make and bake. Change your toppings, experiment a little, and each time you’ll have a completely different healthy and crispy meal in no time.