Gluten-Free Pizza-Crust Recipe : Low-Carb and more!

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust : "Flour" Free!

[by Kate — guest gluten-free blog author] 

Cauliflower-Based GF Pizza Crust

Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, and Vegetarian Pizza Crust Recipe

[mike's intro]: Kate has been quite creative with her latest gluten-free diet recipe that will have you wondering how a pizza-crust that doesn't contain "flour(s)" can exist and be such a delicious low-carb (lacto) vegetarian alternative to "regular" GF pizza crusts.  The photo of her finished pizza (above) should certainly whet your appetite and arouse some intrigue!

In addition to publishing her recipes on this GF blog and on our Gluten-Free Recipes Library, Kate will also be publishing her latest gluten-free recipes on her new "Kate's Guide to Your Inner Foodie" blog that she recently created.  Below are excerpts from her newest and fantastic pizza-crust recipe work along with links to the full recipe and discussion on her blog.  Enjoy! [m]

Kate's Cauliflower Pizza Crust story...

I've always heard that bacon is the hardest things for vegetarians and vegans to give up and, also, the hardest food for them to continue to resist eating through the course of their commitments to either diet. I think pizza is that evil, siren of a food for a lot of Gluten Free and Low-Carb eaters. In fact, I know that many people who have gone Gluten Free due to Celiac Disease or other issues crave pizza so much that they dream about it at night.

Happily, dreams can come true--at least in the realm of pizza consumption--regardless of whether you're eating a Gluten Free and/or Low-Carb diet through the versatile miracle that is cauliflower.

[... see full article on Kate's site for omitted full text/discussion ...]

Cauliflower Gluten-Free Pizza-Crust Ingredients

• 1 Medium-Large Head Cauliflower, broken down into Florets
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 C. soft herbed Goat Cheese; plus more for topping
• 1 Tsp. dried oregano
• Fennel Seeds; to your taste
• Smoked Sea Salt; to your taste
• Black Pepper; to your taste
• TOPPINGS--chopped spinach; goat cheese; mozzarella (fresh or shredded); organic red sauce; minced garlic; sundried tomatoes; fresh basil (chopped)

[... see full article on Kate's site for Gluten-Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe Directions and more wonderful commentary and pictures...]

[mike]:  For the simple fact that, as Kate stated in her blog, "let me say that this Cauliflower Pizza Crust is simply amazing",... everyone that wants a great gluten-free pizza-crust will certainly need to consider this recipe.  And, if that was not good enough, I think many people that want to live a lower-carb, blood-sugar and diabetic-friendly diet (in addition to gluten-free) will enjoy this fantastic pizza-crust option for both reasons.   Thanks Kate!  I hope to post this to our recipe library soon.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Gluten Nightmares : Dreams of Eating Normal Food & Realizing the Consequences

Do you have Gluten-Nightmares?

Dreams about accidentally eating gluten / wheat

I can not help wonder if I am alone in experiencing rather vivid dreams, or nightmares as it may be, about consuming wheat products or other gluten-containing foods and then, in these dreams, realizing what I had done and freaking out about it.

I find it rather strange and disturbing that even after being 100% gluten-free for many years now, I have dreams in which I am in a situation where "normal" (gluten-containing foods) are being served, and for whatever reason I am partaking in its consumption along with everyone else in the dream (others that would be unaffected by gluten).

Most often, the food my subconscious falls for is PIZZA!  Next is bread — especially a great Italian Bread, Sourdough, or other fantastic artisan bread.

Gluten-Filled Nightmare / Dream Analysis

Clearly I must miss these "real" foods during my waking life, even as I feel quite satisfied with the gluten-free-diet equivalent replacements for most everything I ate in the pre-Celiac years.  But, regardless of what my conscious brain thinks about my diet, my subconscious haunts me at least a few times per year with these nightmares about eating gluten and realizing that I am going to become violently ill (since, in the dreams, I have consumed large amounts of those tasty, but evil, gluten-filled menu items).

This is where the dream becomes a nightmare: I know the damage that even a little gluten exposure can do to my body, and in my dreams I become aware of the fact that I just ate a LOT of gluten.  Then my mind is racing about what to do to minimize the effects of the gluten-exposure (there are not many options).  And, I am already thinking about how bad the exposure is going to be and how severe my symptoms will get —  I even think of going to the hospital. This is simply disturbing.

I think that my dreams are motivated not just by a desire to consume gluten-containing foods, but probably moreover by a desire to be able to just have the freedom to eat most anything that is being served — be it at a party, a restaurant, etc — and not have to constantly avoid foods that will surely contain gluten or that may contain gluten (due to cross-contamination).

These dreams tend to develop most often around times where there are events (like company Christmas parties) that I know I will not be able to safely consume a single item at.  So, my subconscious decides to run with this thought and torment me a bit and/or remind me of my need to remain vigilant with regards to gluten avoidance.

Have You Experienced This?

I am curious as to how widespread such thoughts are among the wheat-free / gluten-free / Celiac Disease community.  I guess this could apply to people with peanut allergies or any other condition where accidental ingestion of unsafe foods would lead to serious side effects too.  Feel free to post your comments if you have anything to share.

Here's hoping that this is uncommon, as it really is disturbing and shakes me up a bit as I emerge from my gluten-nightmares!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available for free.

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipes

Thick Crust, Thin Crust, Batter Crust... you choose

This blog posting was inspired by a friend contacting me the other day looking for a gluten-free pizza-crust recipe he could bake that would satisfy his craving for a good pizza (he has just recently joined the ranks of the Celiac / GF population).  He had just tried some store-bought pre-made GF pizza crust and was quite disappointed with it, so I pointed him in the direction of our gluten-free recipes library after quickly mentioning what types of crust recipes we had made available online.  And, I figured I might as well recap the discussion here too for anyone else wanting a better gluten-free pizza crust than they can find at the store.

There are a few gluten-free pizza-crust recipes and approaches that we use regularly.  Each is quite different from the other, and offers substantial variation in taste, texture, and complexity (for creation).  Depending on how much time you have to prepare your pizza and/or what ingredients you have available and what type of crust style you prefer, one of these recipes should do the trick or serve as a great starting point for your own GF pizza creation.

Note: the section-headings below link to the recipes when clicked.

Gluten-Free Thick-Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe : Thick Crust

This is my own personal favorite — a lovely Thick-Crust Pizza that is very much like the "real thing"; and, though it takes a bit of investment with regards to preparation time, the satisfaction of eating a near-real pizza makes up for that.   This is a wonderful traditional raised pizza crust with thick bread-like outer crust edges that is both dairy-free and gluten-free, with great taste and texture.

We make use of Millet and Teff flours as well as yeast (combined, these all help result in a very convincingly "real pizza crust" flavor).  This is a yeast-raised dough, and as such it takes a bit of time to make (crust needs time to raise... about 40minutes just for that), but it is worth it if you really miss "real" pizza.  And, though I typically avoid Xanthan Gum and all gums in my foods, I make a rare exception when it comes to this Pizza crust my wife developed.

Load the crust down with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings and enjoy!  I know I do.

Gluten-Free Thin-Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe : Thin-Crust Variety

This Gluten-Free Thin-Crust Pizza Dough recipe produces a very convincing pizza crust that will have a crispier, crunchier outer crust edge once baked, and an overall texture and taste quite similar to the real thing. This is more of a thin-crust type pizza, and we have found this recipe to be great for sheet-type pizzas.

Though this recipe contains yeast, it is really a baking-powder leavened recipe (the yeast is for flavor) so there is no waiting for the dough to rise prior to baking. The crust is pre-baked (before placing sauce/toppings on it), and then baked a bit more to melt the cheese(s) and cook any toppings.

And, though I posted this picture of the thin-crust pizza on my blog in the past, I just noticed that I have yet to post the picture(s) onto our recipe library. oops!  I will update that soon, but at least the recipe is there for all to see. :)

Batter-type Thin/Medium Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (simple/quick Recipe)

The batter-type approach to a pizza-crust makes for a decent pizza in a bit less time than some other alternatives, as it is made quite similarly to a pancake.  It is also baking-powder leavened so there is no wait for dough to rise.  The batter is poured into pan(s) on the stovetop where it is fried before applying toppings.  Once toppings are added, the pizza(s) are finished by baking in the oven.

PIZZA SAUCE NOTE:

Sauce:  there is a  homemade gluten-free pizza sauce recipe on our website in case you need or want one. It's really simple to make, and has a good flavor on pizzas.  

ENJOY!

The techniques used in these various crust approaches should give you a nice foundation for creating your own variations too.  I have made all sorts of related recipes and have even created adaptations using things like Whey Protein and pre-hydrated Chia Seed slurries and more (in lieu of Xanthan Gum).  Experiment with various flours and create your perfect taste and texture; perhaps you like Buckwheat or flax seed more than other flavors... the sky is the limit.

All this talk of pizza has me craving one now! mmmmmm... pizza!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Recipe :Thin-Crust Pizza Crust Recipe

Gluten-Free Thin Crust Pizza

I so enjoy a great pizza! And, a nice crispy, crunchy gluten-free thin-crust pizza is a very welcome treat for me. My wife spent time this winter perfecting a wheat-free / gluten-free thin-crust pizza that is gum-free but yet strong enough to "hold up" when you pick up a piece of pizza loaded with your favorite toppings. And, here is the result: a crust that meets all of those goals and is now one of my favorite lunch or dinner gluten-free diet selections.

This recipe produces a considerably thinner, crispier, and crunchier crust than the traditional thick-crust gluten-free pizza crust recipe we posted a while back here on this blog (or, via this direct-link to the recipe on our recipe-library site: gluten-free pizza-crust recipe). Each recipe has its own merits depending on what type of pizza you like most.

The thicker crust pizza crust recipe is a yeast-leavened variety, where this thin-crust recipe uses yeast just for flavoring. As such, the thicker crust version can be a bit more work to create (and, the thick-crust version uses Xanthan gum as well -- which to this date bothers my stomach something fierce if I eat more than a small bit at a time). So, the thin-crust that is gum-free (using whey-protein as a wonderful gluten-replacement binder instead) is an easy winner for me.

This thin-crust recipe is designed specifically for cast-iron pans (which I highly recommend, and have written about before on the Gluten-Free Blog: the advantages of cast-iron pans). Cast-iron makes for excellent predictability on the stove-top and oven, plus it is amazingly easy to clean a well-seasoned cast iron pan.

Gluten-Free Pizza : Cast Iron Pan baking

Here's a picture showing the under-side of the crust... that nice golden-brown color leads to a wonderful crisp, crunchy, and firm base for your favorite toppings.

Gluten-Free Pizza : Cast Iron Pan 

In case you missed the link in the first paragraph, here is a LINK TO THIS DELICIOUS GLUTEN-FREE THIN-CRUST PIZZA-CRUST RECIPE.

No matter how long you have been on a Celiac-disease-safe gluten-free diet, chances are that pizza may be one of those often-missed foods for you. So many people I meet with Celiac Disease (or otherwise avoiding gluten) ask about how to make a great pizza-crust that they can create without too much problem. Many have tried pre-made store-bought frozen types and have expressed their disappointment in the results, which leads them to the next step : baking a nice gluten-free pizza from scratch (it is quite possibly the best way to ensure a great pizza!) So, here is another recipe option for your gluten-free diet that we hope helps you make a great GF Pizza on your own and without too much trouble.

And, for those of you with gluten-intolerance that are tempted to consume gluten-containing pizza (and occasionally give-in to that temptation), I really hope this type of recipe helps you remain on a strict gluten-free diet and avoid the negative consequences associated with consuming gluten.

Happy pizza-baking and eating everyone!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Traditional Thick Pizza Crust Recipe

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipes

Gluten-Free Traditional / Thick-Crust Pizza Dough

Traditional Thick-Crust Pizza, now Celiac-safe

One of the all time most-missed foods for Celiacs and persons that must adhere to a gluten-free diet is pizza. I know that I personally suffered withdrawal symptoms and anxiety when I was told I would not be able to eat my favorite Chicago deep-dish pizza, or my favorite Denver thick-crust pizza from Beau Jo's, or even my local favorite Donte's Pizza here in Cleveland, Ohio. Pizza was a large part of my life back in the pre-Celiac and pre-gluten-free days, and I have longed for a wonderful replacement pizza that fits into the GF diet.

I have tried a few different purchased glutenfree pizza crusts and pizza dough mixes over the years, and none really made me think I was eating real pizza. My wife has worked on various pizza-crust replacements, and came up with some decent ones that used a batter approach for quick and easy iron-skillet pizza crusts, and more of a dough-type thin-crust sheet-pizza type recipe. These were fine, but admittedly not nearly the same as the "real" thing.

The new Yeast-Raised Gluten-Free Pizza-Crust Dough Recipe

Enter the latest pizza crust from Laura: a traditional yeast-raised gluten-free and dairy-free pizza dough recipe that produces a wonderfully convincing pizza crust that has excellent taste and texture, including a nice crusty crust with a soft bread-like interior. It holds together wonderfully, just as a pizza crust should. Some of its wonderful flavor comes from Teff and Millet flours, along with rice flour.

I can not do this recipe justice with just words, so check out the pictures here and on the dairyfree and glutenfree traditional thick-crust pizza recipe page, and then make it for yourself. Being a yeast-based GF pizza crust, you will need to be patient and allow the crust to rise, and ideally you will have a candy-thermometer or similar device handy to get the warm-water temperature right for best yeast-development results.

And a Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Sauce Recipe

Laura also included her homemade gluten-free pizza sauce recipe on our website in case you need or want one. It's really simple to make, and has a good flavor on pizzas, as you would expect of a pizza sauce.

Normally, my wife and daughter give in and order their pizzas from a nearby pizza shop instead of sticking to a gluten-free diet with me (thankfully, they do not need to adhere to a Celiac or GF diet as I do), but this pizza crust recipe is close enough to the real thing that my daughter will actually accept it as "pizza". And, that is saying a lot! I too can accept it as pizza. It is not as good as my old favorites from Chicago and other places, but it has reached a level of desirable taste and texture where I can actually be satisfied that my pizza dinner satisfies my craving for a pizza.

Comparing this Gluten-Free Pizza-Crust to "Normal" Pizza

I give it a 7 out of 10 rating, compared to the 10/10 rating my all-time real pizza crusts would get - so, this "7" is a very strong rating considering it is a gluten free pizza crust. This is by far the best gluten-free pizza crust I have ever had, and if Laura ever creates a 9/10+ rated crust, she will have accomplished the "impossible" in my opinion. In fact, I already tell her she's more or less done it with this one. Who knows, maybe she will find a way to tweak this thing up to an 8/10 yet (I want to try making a Chicago deep-dish with it yet and see if that does the trick, though I need a deep-dish pizza pan to try it in).

Slice of Gluten-Free Thick-Crust Pizza

That is a picture of the interior of the crust, showing how it raised nicely and how the bottom and outside exposed dough browned and crusted beautifully, while the inside rose well to deliver a thick-crust / traditional style pizza. I am rather sure you enjoy the Recipe as this has been quite popular with everyone who has tried it!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available, including some other pizza-crust variations.