I prefer to make my own gluten-free flour blends instead of buying expensive "cup for cup" blends. I am not fond of some of the ingredients like cornstarch and xanthan gum in many "cup for cup" blends. I like to choose some healthier flours when I make my own blends. Here is a flour blend to make a crisp and chewy gluten-free pizza crust!
Ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup almond flour
1 1/3 cups brown rice flour
2 cups white rice flour
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup chickpea flour
Directions:
Combine the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months.
The above flour blend makes it quicker to whip up a pizza on a weekend afternoon. Another option is to wrap the cooled crusts in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container to be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Frozen crusts can be topped and baked at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.
We often have a vegetarian in the house, so we like to make a number of vegetarian pizzas. The pizza above is a caramelized onion, roasted sweet potato and feta pizza. However, you can choose whatever toppings you prefer after the initial baking time of the crusts.
Two Pizza Crusts
Ingredients:
4 cups above gluten-free flour blend
1 1/2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder (purchase in a health food store)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast (Red Star bakipan yeast is gluten-free)
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
1. Combine flour blend, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt and yeast in a large bowl (I prefer to use a glass bowl for watching it rise later).
2. Combine water and oil in another bowl. Slowly add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and beat/stir in a kneading motion for about 6 minutes. The dough will be like a batter.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 1/2 hours (dough should be very bubbly).
4. Line two pizza pans with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper with a bit more olive oil (these two steps are very important).
5. Transfer half of the dough to the centre of one pan and spread with an oiled spatula into a large circle. Then brush the top of the dough with more olive oil and use your hands to gently press dough out to almost cover the pizza pan. Repeat this step with the other half of the dough and the other pan.
6. Adjust the oven racks to the lower and middle positions. Place the pans in the oven and set the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake dough for 45-50 minutes, switching the pans halfway through baking. The dough should be golden brown on the bottom and firm to the touch on the top. Transfer the crusts to a wire rack and let cool.
7. The cooled crusts can sit at room temperature for about 4 hours. Cooled crusts can also be wrapped in plastic and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Crusts do not need to thaw before topping and baking.
8. Parbaked crusts can then be topped with your choice of toppings and baked at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Note: I find a pizza stone works best for this final step - to make the crust crisp. If you do not have a baking stone, use a pizza pan, heating it in the oven for 30 minutes beforehand.
