Make the Best Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe
The first time we went to Italy we walked down to the corner cafe in Radda Chianti for a quick dinner. The menu said, “giant pizza for two.” That is unique in Italy, as most pizza is served personal-pan style. The other thing that was different was that there was no description.
You get what you get. We think we got the best pizza of our life.
The crust was crispy, chewy and little bit charred. We ate the whole thing with such gusto, you would have thought we were in a pizza eating contest. Truth is we had just left a wine festival and needed something to eat fast, after having sampled 21 amazing wineries, all for 8 euros.
So take a good look. There’s a little of this, a little of that, spread out in whatever order the owner decided. He was thrilled with our appetite and brought limencello to the table afterwards. This still stands as our best pizza memory of our life and one of our best Italy memories.
That was 2008. This is now 2017 and Spinach Tiger eats gluten free. What’s a girl to do about pizza?
Spinach Tiger finds the world’s best gluten free pizza crust recipe.
She gets busy trying to make a thin, chewy, crispy gluten free pizza crust recipe that delivers the pleasure that only pizza can bring.
I show you how to get close enough to not feel like you’re missing out on Italy’s greatest gift to America. Pizza Pie.
Here is a video for the Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe.
I want to make sure you understand this is not going to be tossed or slapped on the counter. It’s gluten free. We have to take a different tact, but we are thrilled with the results we got!
Mr. Spinach Tiger said this is not just good for gluten free. It’s just good!
I will warn you that the pizza crust starts white and turns a whole wheat color. Don’t let that scare you away. It’s most likely the almond flour that tends to brown easily, but it does not affect the taste whatsoever!
Instead of trying to figure out the ins and outs, I first went to the America Test Kitchen. It’s tricky the first time, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy. I adapted the recipe, used Bob’s Red Mill one to one and made a few slight changes.
The Main Ingredients for a Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe
- Gluten Free Flour (We use Bob’s Red Mill One to One)
- Instand Yeast or Rapid Rise (must be this kind)
- Psyllium Husk
- Blanched Almond Flour
- Olive Oil
- Use a Stand Mixer with a fitted Paddle or use an electric mixer.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together.
- Mix warm water with olive oil. Make sure this is at least 100 degrees, no warmer than 110.
- Slowly pour into dry ingredients.
- Mix for what seems forever. Six minutes.
- Using a plastic wrap sprayed with olive oil or baking spray to spread the dough.
- Pre-Bake, low and slow, for 40-50 at 325 degrees F, starting with a cold oven.
You must partially pre-bake the crust for long time, up to 50 minutes. A hot oven will only end up in a cracker crust and without the chew, you can’t call this pizza. This ensures the right texture.
I also got a little help with my gluten free pizza dough recipe from my friends at OXO.
OXO sent me a pizza pan, pizza cutter and this vegetable slicer. If you take notice at many of my recommendations for kitchen tools, OXO is always in the line-up. I’m brand loyal because I don’t like like a lot of useless gadgets, and they make things that work well and save time. I used these to slice uniform coins of zucchini and to grate parmesan.
The new pizza pan is amazing. It’s not heavy stoneware, but bakes like stone. It stores away more easily than stone and can be used for my famous gluten free biscuits. So famous, that google has put them at the top of the pack.
Why this pizza pan from works for a Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe
- It’s a heavy gauge aluminized steel, which promotes even heating.
- It has a micro textured pattern, allowing for airflow.
- It bakes like a baking stone, only is not as heavy.
- The Gluten Free Pizza Dough
If you know anything about Spinach Tiger, it’s that I have high standards for my baking recipes and especially for pizza crust. This gluten free pizza dough hits all the points I was hoping for. I didn’t think possible in a gluten free crust, because it’s the elasticity of the gluten that makes pizza dough great.
We used fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, zucchini coins, fresh corn, fresh oregano.
How Does this Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe Taste
The taste is excellent. This gluten free pizza dough recipe is above and beyond what most gluten free breads taste like. My only problem with the pizza crust was wanting to eat too much of it.
Anytime I think about living a gluten free life, I think about losing the ability to eat crusty bread. When we made the first pizza crust, before we put anything on it, we all ate it, like it was bread. I put Irish butter on mine. Some ate it just as it. We loved it that much.
The second time I made this, I made myself a vegan pizza with no cheese, using zucchini, roasted tomatoes, olive oil and fresh corn. It was so delicious, because the crust was amazing. My next plan is to make smaller rounds, freeze them and use for avocado toast or bruschetta. Stay tuned for that post.
Use the Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe to Make a Giant Pizza for Two
- Apply a tomato sauce or roasted tomatoes in moderate amount.
- Apply a smattering of fresh mozzarella but not too much. 4 ounces is more than enough.
- Apply sliced vegetables, olives, cured beef, bacon, pepperoni, ham (or whatever you like) here and there. Do not stack. Do not overload.
- Bake the final pizza in a hot oven at 500 degrees F.
- When it comes out of the oven, top with arugula or fresh herbs.
- Use the OXO pizza cutter and enjoy!
Oxo supplied the pan, cutter and vegetable slicer for this post: this is not a paid post.
Gluten Free Life Style
You’re here because you eat gluten free. I have good news for you. I have tested and retested the basics. I have biscuits, cobblers, pie crust, cakes and cupcakes. Next week, we’re featuring a gluten free country crusty bread.
So please subscribe and never miss a tested, gluten free recipe that always fits the big fat healthy life style. I’ll link to my whole line of pizzas as you can still use those toppings.
More Gluten Free Baking from Spinach Tiger
More Pizza Recipes from Spinach Tiger
This post and recipe contains Amazon links. As an affiliate, Spinach Tiger gets paid a small commission.
- This recipe contains Amazon links for your convenience.
- 16 ounces Bob's Red Mill one-to-one gluten free flour Order Here
- 2½ ounces almond flour (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) Order Here
- 1½ tablespoons powdered psyillium husk Order Here
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder, gluten free
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast (MUST BE THIS KIND OF YEAST)
- 2½ cups warm water (100 degrees)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- olive oil spray
- [b]Kitchen tools[/b]
- spray bottle water
- Kitchen Aid Mixer
- Plastic Wrap
- Large Spatula (I used this)
- Pizza Pan for Giant Pizza (I used this)
- Pizza Cutter (I used this)
- Good Grips Vegetables Slicer (I used this)
- Mix together, flours, psyllium husk, baking powder, salt, yeast.
- Mix using the paddle of electric mixer.
- Mix together warm water and oil and slowly add in steady stream until incorporated.
- Mix for about six minutes on medium.
- The dough will be very sticky, almost like a batter, but will pull away from the sides with a spatula.
- Remove bowl from mixer and top with plastic wrap or 1½ hours or until you see that the dough is bubbly. Use spatula to look at the dough.
- I made one 15 inch pizza and one ten inch personal pizza. You can also make (2) 11 inch pizzas.
- You want your dough about ¼ inch thick with thicker edges.
- Place dough in center of your baking pan.
- Spray a piece of plastic wrap with baking spray.
- Using a big spatula like the OXO smooth out. You can also use your hands and then use the spatula once you take the plastic off, to smooth out.
- Place in a cold oven.
- Set the temperature to 325 and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Smaller 10 inch sized pizzas will be done at 40 minutes. Larger pizzas take up to 55 minutes.
- Remove and and put toppings on. (You can freeze cooled crusts).
- If you do freeze, you can top and put in oven frozen.
- To Make PIzza:
- Heat Oven to 500 degrees.
- Place toppings on pizza.
- Bake for about 8 -10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. We baked the largest pizza for 15 minutes.
i am looking forward to making the artisan bread, the fluffy biscuits and the pizza!
i love the black handled scraper/spatula. where do i get one!
thank you for your recipes and vids. so full of advice, techniques and tips.
amma
Thank you Amma, The spatula is wonderful. I use it every day. It’s from OXO. It’s in my amazon shop. https://www.amazon.com/shop/spinachtiger/